The Power Ranger Archives: Things Unsaid Part One - MMPR
by ShinySephiroth
Summary: In 1993 Zordon of Eltar chose five teenagers with ATTITUDE to become warriors in the war he had been waging against evil for thousands of years. Step into that world and discover the events which were not known during that time. Secret villains hiding in the wings, dangerous alliances, and surprise allies surround Rita's attack on Angel Grove! And perhaps... new ranger teams?
1. Chapter One: Day of the Dumpster

_**1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B**_

 _My sweet Reunion..._ The Ghost of Darkness thought to himself. A burst of power erupted from the skull housing his Spirit, giving him the ability to do a quick scan of the universe.

Several forces for evil were hard at work hoping to become the eventual rulers of the universe. _Scorpius_ , a mutated former general of the old United Alliance and Edenite, stayed in one corner of the universe slowly amassing power for his daughter, Trakeena. _Octomus_ lay dormant in a place called the Corridor Between Realms, trapped by the great Wizard Leanbow, planning a time where he and his minions in the Underworld could escape. _Dai Shi_ , Octomus' former partner, was trapped as a Demon Cloud in a box by the Order of the Claw in one of their temples, though his anger towards those who captured him kept his mind active with plans for revenge. Bansheera's gang of Demons were trapped in a tomb by the Demon Darkonda, along with the Wizard of the Sands and the guardian known as Gosei. _Diabolico_ , one of those Demons, trained up the young boy Ryan Mitchell via his Spirit form in hopes of getting Emperor Mavro's wife, _Xelleb_ , to give him the power to release his master, _Queen Bansheera_ , from the universe of Monsters known as the Oblivion. _Emperor Mavro_ himself worked hard to get his Armada up and running, to be strong enough to fight the one force in the universe powerful enough to thwart his powerful army. That powerful army strong enough to thwart the Armada was the perverted version of the organization once known to be a force for justice in the universe. No longer run by the Morphing Masters, that army was known as the United Alliance of Evil, run by the Demon _Dark Specter_.

Although there were other forces in the universe that seemed to have the potential to be able to destroy the universe, such as the bounty hunter Sledge, the revenge seeking Count Dregon, or the backstabbing figure in the Armada known as Lothor, none of them really mattered to the Ghost of Darkness. Using his Time Magic, the Ghost of Darkness was able to pierce past the veil of Space and Time to see certain probabilities... scenarios which were likely to impact the plans surrounding his _Reunion_. The above mentioned villains were those that seemed to play a role in the universe that would end any possibility of the Ghost of Darkness' Reunion.

 _Let's see here..._ The Ghost of Darkness thought as he pondered in his solidarity. _The best case scenario for me would be having Dark Specter go through with his plans and attack Earth, which he plans to do within the next few days... That would create a chain reaction of events that would cause Octomus to escape the Underworld and the Armada to unleash their full might against the United Alliance of Evil. Let us see here..._

Time Magic erupted from the skull housing the Ghost of Darkness. The Ghost was using all of his power to be able to read the strands of unpredictable Time. It was made exceedingly difficult for him due to the actions of a powerful being eons ago, named September, who betrayed his people who were tasked with arranging and caring for the Timelines of the multiverse for the malevolent intentions of a force named the Supreme. September's actions made any outcome of Universe M54331Z-B (the Ghost of Darkness' current universe) almost incalculable. It came down to the Ghost of Darkness reading the many different possible outcomes and using his own intellect to pin down which seemed most probable in his own mind, and even then it was pure conjecture. At that moment, the Ghost of Darkness was just looking for an outcome that would allow for his Reunion. Unfortunately for him, the one with the best outcome for him was still very bleak...

 _While Dark Specter unleashes his might on Earth, Octomus would launch his attack on the Underworld. With Leanbow working for him, possessed by the Demon Koragg, the Mystic Realm would not stand a chance and fall, including the Pai Zhua and Ninja Academies who would rush to their aid. Dark Specter would be doing all he could to destroy anything that Wizard, Zordon, would throw at him and succeed. The government would prematurely launch their Power Ranger program, Global Strike, but be annihilated. Dark Specter's forces would crush Zordon's Command Center, forcing the Wizard to leave his Time Warp and battle Dark Specter himself. Meanwhile, Octomus would free his partner, Dai Shi, and they would join in on the battle raging on Earth. So many would fall in that battle... Dai Shi and Octomus would do all they could to get the Greatest Treasure on Earth, but would eventually fail, crushed by Zordon himself..._

Yes... I can see it! Zordon in his Ranger guise fighting Dark Specter himself. Then, suddenly, Emperor Mavro appears! He interferes, unleashing the entire Armada on Earth. Then, Universal Equilibrium would kick in. Just as Earth was destroyed in the original Timeline in the year 1993, so it would in this new Timeline. This Zordon would fail just like his predecessor and Earth would be destroyed. Zordon and Gosei would team up with the forces of the universe hoping to hide the Ranger Keys to stop both Dark Specter and Mavro from getting the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. That's when Scorpius would swoop in. He would destroy Gosei and take the Ranger Keys for himself!

Then Zordon would wage a war against three factions of power in space... The Armada, the United Alliance of Evil, and Scorpius' forces. The battles would wage on for thousands of years, and... I can't see a victor! The balance of power would continually shift, with Zordon protecting the Greatest Treasure itself and no one being able to get to it with all of the Ranger Keys! And in the midst of it all!? Ahhh! There's no way I could launch my Reunion!

The Red Energy of Rage emanated greatly from the Ghost of Darkness' skull. The current state of the universe made it so that none of the Ghost's plans could go without facing great adversity. He needed to have an opportunity to plant his deadly seeds and let them saturate the universe, but the chaos caused by Dark Specter's invasion of Earth would snuff out his seeds, not allowing them to spread as the Ghost of Darkness needed.

"Wizard!" Ghost of Darkness cried out.

Dragging himself slowly to the Ghost of Darkness due to the summoning was the being formerly known as Yoral, the Wizard of Deception. The one time love interest of Trinity of Triforia before she married Zordon of Eltar, Yoral of Eltar had gone through many ordeals orchestrated by the Ghost of Darkness before becoming the Wizard of Deception. He had been greatly defeated in battle many centuries prior, and was comatose for a good chunk of that time. Even at that moment, he was nowhere near as powerful or able as he was in his prime.

"Yes, my master?" The Wizard of Deception asked.

"I must speak to someone... my mind is abuzz!" The former scientist yelled from his skull. "I need a new course of action! The universe is conspiring against me! I'm from a different Time, and Universal Equilibrium has no plans to include me in its grand schemes!"

The Wizard of Deception nodded slowly. "I see...Then you must change Fate. Change the current course the universe is on."

"But how!?" The Ghost of Darkness demanded. "I see no way of getting around _Fate_..."

"Well, if the universe's current set up is pointed one way, and you are able to perceive that," Said the Wizard of Deception. "Then take something away from the equation... or add something."

"But what could I possibly-!? That's it!" The Ghost of Darkness proclaimed, the cogs in his brain beginning to churn. "That Witch I poisoned with my seeds! She's a part of the Reunion!"

"Rita Repulsa?" The evil Wizard asked.

"Yes... her!" The Ghost of Darkness proclaimed. "She has been written off by the universe due to that Nathadian Magic keeping her sealed in that prison of hers. If I could unleash her, I could get her to do _my will_."

"How will you defeat the Nathadian Magic?" The Wizard of Deception asked bitterly, knowing it was his rival Zordon who was the source of that Magic.

"With _other_ Magic..." The Ghost of Darkness stated, using Time Magic to scan the universe for possibilities. "Yes... the Gold Magic of Liaria!"

"Key Magic?" Wizard of Deception asked, confused. "I don't understand..."

"Centuries ago, a Liarian by the name of Gerlit trapped Bansheera's servant, Maligore. He sent him to Earth and trapped him on an island there using the spell of the Nemesis Triangle to sequester him from the rest of the planet. Well, my dear Wizard, one thing the Liarian did not know was the _origin_ of the spell of the Nemesis Triangle!"

"Which is?" Wizard of Deception asked.

"A planet known as Nemesis, many, many years ago once orbited the solar system Liaria belongs to. On it were a dangerous people, enemies of the Liarians. A great battle occurred between them, and many casualties were seen for the Liarians. It coaxed them to forge a great piece of Magic: the spell of the Nemesis Triangle. They cast it on the planet, causing it to change the gravitational pull of their sun to eject the planet from their solar system. It was a dark time for the Liarians, but they justified it saying that it was _war,_ " The Ghost of Darkness stated.

"So?" Wizard asked.

"The spell was later depowered over the years to be a simple isolation spell, nowhere near as powerful as its predecessor spell," Ghost of Darkness stated. "But, like attracts like. Although everyone on that planet is long gone, Nemesis itself is still floating throughout the universe due to the Key Magic surrounding it. I'm going to put Rita's prison on it. I'm going to have you go and connect the Magic of the Nemesis Triangle to the planet Nemesis... and then we'll let their attraction do the rest."

The Wizard of Deception was hesitant. He had not been active for quite a while, but he knew it was _vital_ for his master's plans. After some deliberation in his mind, he turned to the skull.

"I will do it." He said, vanishing in a blinding flash of flames.

It took only moments for the Wizard of Deception to pinpoint the floating "dumpster" housing Rita and her minions. The Wizard pointed his wand at the dumpster and shot a blast of Dark Magic at it to move it. He sneered as he saw the Nathadian Magic repel it.

"It's been a long time since I've done this..." The Wizard said, concentrating on his old power of Anti-Magic. "Zocato power!"

The purple and black mist exploded from him, dismissing for a brief moment the protective coating of Nathadian Magic around the dumpster. As fast as he could, the Wizard zapped the dumpster with his Dark Magic and teleported it onto the floating planet, Nemesis.

Now... The voice of the Ghost of Darkness commanded his Wizard in his mind. Connect them!

Teleporting to be over Nemesis himself, the Wizard of Deception shot a blast from his wand at the planet. Concentrating, a second beam erupted from it and traveled in mind numbing speeds to Earth. It hit the Nemesis Triangle surrounding the Island of Muranthias which housed the Demon Maligore. The Wizard of Deception then combined the two beams into one, connecting them.

"Amazing!" The Wizard exclaimed as he watched Nemesis begin to be pulled toward Earth's orbit.

The gravitational Magic that spell has is astounding. The Ghost of Darkness told his servant. Now if my calculations are correct, all we need to do is wait.

"For what?" The Wizard asked as he watched Nemesis become a dot in the distant expanse of space.

For someone to open the prison. Someone with a pure heart, with no intention of releasing Rita... And it shouldn't be long now...

. . .

Standing in the NASA facility on Earth, General McKnight looked at Dr. Levoy's computations. "And this beam hit Earth only a day ago, and you can see it is bringing something to us?"

"Yes, sir." Dr. Levoy stated, showing his computer model for the unknown force that had hit Earth less than twenty four hours earlier.

"And what do _you_ think, Dr. Phenomenus?" McKnight asked.

Phenomenus sighed. "I... I don't know. I wish I didn't have to say this, but it may be _aliens_."

"If I didn't know about Area 51, I'd be inclined to think you crazy, but..." Levoy stated.

Nodding slowly, Phenomenus pointed at the screen. "It looked like a concentrated blast that hit that area of water, and it seems to be sending out a constant stream of some sort of force after that. Some of the properties are very similar to the signatures we've determined to be Magic floating outside of the town of Briarwood."

"The gateway to the Mystic Realm, right." McKnight said, nodding. "Well, GA Rex will need to hear about-"

"Look!" Levoy shouted.

McKnight turned to the screen. Along with everyone else at the facility, they watched slack jawed as a planet was seen approaching from the distance. They knew not what Nemesis was, or what it's purpose was. All they knew was that it was coming _fast_.

"General McKnight?" An employee said, holding a brick sized phone. "It's General of the Army Rex."

Taking the phone, McKnight placed it to his ear. "Sir?"

"I see the planet coming," Rex said. "Harlen here has calculated its trajectory and has determined that it will stop in orbit around Earth. I got Albert Collins from Bio-Lab to fund the mission."

"Mission, sir?" McKnight asked.

"The two pilots will be arriving there within the hour," Rex stated. "They will be boarding a rocket and heading up to Nemesis. Harlen has detected a large power supply on it. It's a Magic source we need to secure before anyone else, McKnight. Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir," McKnight said, feeling uneasy.

"Good. Do not delay," Rex said. "I want that power source in the hands of the U.S. government as soon as possible."

. . .

Jim Myers sat in the space shuttle as it broke out of Earth's atmosphere. It felt odd for him to be in such a rushed mission to space. Something about the whole thing felt off.

"Nervous?" Karl Craw asked, seated next to him. "I sure am... I mean, what if this thing is super radioactive or something?"

"I'm just following orders," Jim said.

"But, you got a kid," Karl said. "Don't you worry about him not having a dad after this?"

"What's wrong with you?" Jim asked. "Please don't talk like that."

"I'm just being realistic, Jim."

Jim sighed. "I do this for Eric, okay? He's a good kid, and deserves a good life. The government takes care of us, so I follow orders. And if something _were_ to happen to me? Well, I know that he'd be taken care of."

"By Rex? Or McKnight!? Don't make me laugh!" Karl barked. "I don't get why Rex has so much pull in the government. I get a weird vibe off that guy. There's just something... _wrong_ about him. Unnatural, ya know?"

"I gotta have faith," Jim said simply.

The rest of the flight to Nemesis was fairly uneventful. Just as Dr. Harlen had predicted using the advanced machinery provided to him by General of the Army Rex, Nemesis parked itself around Earth. The Magical properties of the Nemesis Triangle spell was able to change the Solar System's gravity enough to accommodate Nemesis, simply adding another moon to Earth's orbit. The curious thing about Nemesis was that the connection between it and the Nemesis Triangle caused the planet itself to remain concealed from the eyes of the citizens of the planet, invisible to the naked eye if one were to look up at Earth's sky.

Karl in the ship slipped himself into his space suit. Jim sighed, feeling nervous as he shimmied into his own.

"Testing..." Karl said as both his and Jim's helmets slipped on. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah..." Jim said. "I wish we didn't have to wear these suits, but I guess the radiation on this hunk of rock may be too dangerous for us..."

"Okay, you're giving _me_ the creeps now," Karl stated. "Let's... let's just get this over with, okay?"

The two slipped out and onto the planet. They were surprised to find the gravity of the planet made them seem _heavier_ rather than lighter, as was the case on Earth's moon, simply named Moon. It took quite a bit of effort for them to move about, making the trek out onto the planet arduous.

"Why did we park so far away from the power source?" Jim asked.

"Because it would jam our sensors," Karl replied.

"Well then how are we gonna get it into the ship? Won't it jam our sensors then, too?"

"Nah. I have a signal jammer. I just couldn't land near it _before_ putting on the jammer. We could've crashed."

As Karl spoke, Jim looked out into the distance. As he did, he saw something red flashing. He could feel it. It was what they were looking for.

"Hey, look at that!" Jim cried out.

"Let's go!" Karl said, the two of them rushing toward the object.

The closer they got to it, the more of what it was became apparent to them. It was Rita's dumpster, shot onto the planet's surface by the Wizard of Deception. Unfortunately for them, they didn't know that.

"What do you think it is?" Jim asked.

"It looks like a giant space dumpster." Replied Karl, catching up to Jim. They were both breathing hard, having ran with difficulty due to the gravity.

Jim looked at it. The red gem full of Nathadian Magic was pulsating as it sat atop the lid. It was almost as if it was calling out to him. He knew not it was actually trying to _warn_ him of the danger the dumpster contained.

 _Well, whatever energy Rex wants must be_ _in_ _the "dumpster"..._ Jim thought.

Jim reached forward, placing his hand on the red gem. "Let's open her up!"

As he touched it, the light faded. The Nathadian Magic read his Heart, and saw no ill intent. He was judged as worthy.

"One... two... three!" Karl said as the two grabbed the lid and pulled it off.

"Oof!" Jim yelled as he and Karl hit the dirt.

They watched in awe as several beams of light erupted from the dumpster. They danced around them, floating about for a moment. Jim then saw the lights meet up and congregate on the ground a few feet away from the dumpster. What appeared from the lights shocked him: Monsters.

Future: Omega Ranger (the Power Ranger archiving this incident in history in the year 2050) recognized them as the gang of thugs who had been a part of Rita Repulsa's gang ten thousand years earlier. The gold armored beast from Egypticus, Goldar. The former scientist for the United Alliance before betraying them to work for Scorpius, Finster. A low level grunt who was assigned to work with Rita named Squatt. And Baboo, Prince of the Vampires and the brother to the Queen of the Vampires, Necrolai.

"Let's get out of here!" Karl yelled, turning around and trying to sprint.

Jim turned and followed suit. He kept tripping, due to the gravity weighing him down so much. He could hear the foul Monsters laughing horrifically behind him as he tried to run after Karl.

"All right!" Squatt proclaimed happily. "We're out!"

By that point, both Karl and Jim were exhausted. They had fallen and were trying to crawl back to their ship. As they crawled, akin to why people rubberneck on the street when they pass an accident, the two turned back to see what was going on. It was a disaster yet they couldn't keep their eyes off.

As the other three Monsters looked about, amazed at the blue sky (caused by Nemesis' atmosphere) they hadn't seen in eons, Squatt lumbered over to the dumpster. He was curious to see why Rita and Scorpina had not left the dumpster yet.

"Rita, wake up! Wake up!" Squatt yelled out. "We're free!"

Rita heard the words, but could not believe it. The last time she'd been out was when she had broken free of the control Lord Zedd had over her. Centuries ago, Rita had realized she was being used by Dark Specter and had been kidnapped as a child to be a part of a nefarious child abducting program called Alphabet Soup (at that time run by Queen of the Demons, Bansheera). She had confronted Lord Zedd, threatening to leave the United Alliance of Evil. Lord Zedd had shot her staff full of Red Rage Energy, laced with Demonic properties, causing her to fall under his control. She had been able to break free for a bit, summoning the Dragonzord and helping Zordon stop the warzord Cyclopsis from destroying Earth. After a series of unfortunate misunderstandings, Rita had fallen back under control of both Lord Zedd and (separately) the Ghost of Darkness. After using the Ghost of Darkness' power to banish Zordon to his dimension known as his Time Warp, Rita had found herself trapped in that dumpster due to Zordon's latent Nathadian Containment Spell. After ten thousand years trapped, it was incomprehensible to her that she was no longer trapped in that confined space.

Rita picked herself up out of the dumpster, looking considerably older than the last time Future: Omega Ranger had seen her. She stretched out her arms and exhaled. She was taking in the scenery, happy to know that she was no longer bound in the dumpster that was her home for ten millennia.

"Uh-oh! Morning breath!" Squatt yelled out, covering his nose jokingly. He then reached into his bag and said, "Here! Let me get you a mint!"

Rita looked down in the dumpster. Where Scorpina had once been was the withered and wrinkled body of a fighter from the Order of the Claw. Rita remembered how Scorpina had escaped her imprisonment by the Order of the Claw by stinging one of the fighters, infecting him with what she called a "remnant" of herself, mutating the fighter into an avatar of Scorpina. Rita supposed that the moment the dumpster had been opened that Scorpina sent her avatar back to the boulder the Order of the Claw had trapped her in.

As Baboo ran over to help Squatt get Rita, Finster shook his head. "Oh, my..."

 _Things haven't changed one bit!_ Finster thought. _I don't know_ _why_ _I thought that if we ever got out of there that they'd change. I should have known better after ten thousand years_ _living_ _with them!_

Then, looking on the bright side, he exclaimed, "It's good to be _free_ after ten thousand years!"

Realizing Squatt had gotten absorbed in his joke and was _actually really looking for a mint_ in his bag, Baboo stepped forward. "Here, your evilness, let me help you!"

Taking the older woman than she was before (she was having a hard time not only figuring out the heavy gravity of Nemesis, but also her body that was "not working like it used to"), Baboo decided to brighten the mood by singing, "Walk with me, talk with me!"

As Rita stepped down she felt her foot hit something soft and mushy. "Ugh! You made me step in a puddle you _nitwit_!"

Goldar stepped forward to help as well, but Rita pushed him away. "Get out of my way, monkey face! I'm going to destroy that infernal dumpster!"

"But Scorpina!" Finster demanded.

"She's gone!" Rita exclaimed. "She went back to her body on Earth, I suppose."

Before anyone could reply, Rita pointed her staff at the dumpster. Years of pent up Rage was in her, and she unleashed the Red Energy in visible beams that hit the dumpster, destroying it.

"Ahh!" Jim and Karl screamed, suddenly remembering they had to get back to their ship.

Rita laughed, seeing the two responsible for freeing her. "Don't leave... you'll miss my coming out party! That's when I destroy the nearest planet!"

Laughing insanely, Rita and the rest of her crew turned to see what planet that would be. A cruel and horrible smile landed on her face as she saw what planet that was. It was the very planet she had been last on before being trapped by Zordon.

"Earth!?" Rita asked, laughing. "Ah-hahaha! Revenge will be mine!"

"Maybe... ZORDON... will be... ugh... there still?" Goldar asked, trying to speak. He spoke very little over the last ten thousand years, after an injury he sustained in battle before his imprisonment.

"Your voice _still_ messed up from when Master Mao hit you in the throat!?" Squatt asked.

"Quiet!" Goldar said in his deeper and rougher than usual voice.

"Yes... Zordon!" Rita said. She then turned to see the astronauts rushing to get back to their shuttle. "Goldar? Destroy those two and take their shuttle. We may need it."

"Thank you, my empress!" Finster said. "I would love to tinker with it!"

"Yes, my queen!" Goldar said, testing his wings out for the first time in eons. He found that the injury he had sustained fighting against Zordon's megazord many years earlier on the Moon was still there, giving his spine pain when trying to use his wings.

As Goldar flew off, Rita turned to the three left with her. "Now, let's make our way back to the palace on Earth's Moon. We need to set up shop there once again!"

"No!" Karl screamed as he watched Goldar fly closer.

"Run! Run!" Jim yelled, still crawling to get to the ship.

"Er... I hate Humans!" Goldar cried out, swooping down and swinging his sword to hit Jim.

"No!" Karl screamed, using all of his strength to jump between Goldar and the sword. He gasped as he felt it dig into his gut.

"Karl! No!" Jim yelled in horror.

"Get... home... Eric... needs you..." Karl said before giving up the ghost.

"Eric, huh?" Goldar asked, laughing as he tossed Karl's lifeless body to the side. He began walking slowly after Jim, finding it pathetic that Jim thought he could outrun him by _crawling_. "Must be your child... The only thing worse than a Human is a Human _child_!"

"Leave me alone!" Jim screamed. "Please!"

"Don't worry... your precious Eric will join you soon enough!" Goldar said, walking up slowly behind the man crawling desperately to safety. "And so will the rest of Earth!"

"Ungh!" Jim cried out as a sharp pain hit him in the back.

He fell to the sand, feeling pinned to the ground. He could feel a pool of blood beneath him. Goldar had stabbed him in the back. He groaned as he felt Goldar pull out the sword before walking toward the space shuttle. He watched as the two gold clawed feet walked away from him, blurring as they did. His vision was fading to black, and the last thing he saw before passing on to the other side was an image of his son, Eric Myers, in his mind.

. . .

Ernie Finestein sighed as he leaned on the counter of "his" juicebar. _So... it's finally happened, huh? Alphabet Soup is in full swing!_

He looked around at the teens coming in and out of the Youth Center. Ernie felt bad for them, because none of them knew what the Youth Center actually was: a front for a government think tank/war prep. And each and every one of those kids were recruited without knowing.

 _Some are strong... some are smart... some have the potential to have_ _powers_ _... but in the end, they're still just kids._ Ernie thought sadly.

Ernie had been recruited in his youth for the sole objective of eventually being the government handler over Alphabet Soup. He had been given many missions, each of them with the objective of fine tuning his skills to be what GA Rex needed him to be: resourceful.

He had his reservations, though. Kids were still kids. He thought himself too young when he went into the government as an agent, and some of these kids were _much_ younger than he had been. He at least had a year of college under his belt.

Glancing over, he saw one of the teens who he pitied, practing her gymnastics routine on a beam. Her name was Kimberly Ann Hart, a sophomore who had been recruited into Alphabet Soup not only for her intellect, but also her extraordinary potential for gymnastics. She moved effortlessly it seemed, going through each motion as if they were second nature to her, not even the slightest wobble seen coming from her.

Seeing some commotion from the mat area, Ernie spied two guys sparring. One was a nationally known karate champion named Jason Lee Scott. Outside of his IQ, the high school sophomore was brought into Alphabet Soup because it seemed he had an unusual connection between his brain and his muscle's motor units. He was also deemed to be a Potential, meaning he fit a certain definition in Alphabet Soup showing that he had the _potential_ of being an all around, well rounded "asset" to the government. That potential needed to be tapped, though, and Ernie was not happy with _how_ the government planned on doing that tapping...

Zach Taylor was the teen sophomore who also had a reputation (and test scores taken without his knowledge via visual testing, alongside scans from computer tech) that showed he, too, had a pentant for being physically gifted. Dr. Kaplan, the scientist running the scientific portions of Alphabet Soup: Angel Grove, hypothesized that Zach had the potential to be able to read physical movements and be able to instantly copy them back at near expert levels with very little practice. For example, he had only started practicing karate a month earlier, and he had already gotten to the level that he could give Jason a good match (which not many could boast, even after years of practice and strict discipline).

Ernie watched intently as Jason performed a spin kick toward Zach, Zach evading and throwing a practice kick toward Jason. The action made Ernie itch, missing the battlefield with every fine tuned movement performed by the youngsters. Ernie was especially impressed when Zach dropped to the mat, performing a dance move to attack Jason. Reacting quickly, Jason leapt over the playful move and rolled out to the end of the mat.

Leaping up and ready, Jason watched as Zach rushed forward, practicing a jump kick of his own as he got close enough to attack, yet not hit his friend. As Zach relaxed for a microsecond, Jason instinctively grabbed Zach's arm and moved into position, landing a sparring jab to Zach's right rib area. At that, the two began to laugh.

 _It's good they can laugh..._ Ernie thought glumly. _If they knew what was_ _really_ _going on here... if they knew they were constantly under surveillance... I don't think there'd be a happy face in this entire_ _city_ _!_

Scanning the room, Ernie's eyes fell on another teen practicing martial arts. The girl was sophomore Trini Kwan. Her uncle, Howard Kwan, was known as a champion in his field of martial arts, while also being a genius. After being hired by the government through General of the Army Rex's underling, General McKnight, Dr. Kwan's niece was targeted to see her potential. She had apparently similar gifts as her uncle, and was immediately brought into the fold of Alphabet Soup.

As Kimberly finished her routine, spinning off the beam, Trini walked over to her. "That was awesome, Kimberly!"

Kim had a bright smile on her face, proud of herself and happy for the compliment. "Thanks, Trini."

Right then, Ernie's hyper alert nature drew him to the awkward young boy who appeared at the door. It was one of the kids on Alphabet Soup's roster listed as a possible science expert: freshman Billy Cranston. Ernie fought the urge to facepalm, seeing Billy walk in wearing a karate get up.

 _Ah, c'mon Billy..._ Ernie thought. _You don't need to know karate to prove yourself to anyone! You're a bright kid! You don't need to be someone you're not!_

"Juice, please?" A girl Ernie did not recognize asked him, snapping him from his observational gazes.

"Uh... yeah, sure." Ernie said, swallowing hard as he began making her "juice".

One of Kaplan and McKnight's top priorities in the project was to help "accelerate" the growth toward each kid's potential. In each "juice" or "smoothie" Ernie made, he snuck in many different drugs. They were a cocktail created by the minds of Dr. Kaplan, Dr. Levoy of Bio-Lab, and Dr. Harlen (McKnight's personal scientist). They promised to have "amazing" effects on each kid.

 _You're disgusting._ Ernie thought to himself as he handed the girl her drug laced drink. _Just because you're a government agent doesn't mean you have to just let all this happen! But... what am I to do, huh!? They'll "silence" me if I so much as_ _sneeze_ _wrong..._

As Ernie finished serving the girl, he noticed two more fellas enter the room. These two made him _angry_ rather than fill him with feelings of pity. They were "sophomores" Farkas Bulkmeier and Eugene Skullovitch, otherwise "affectionately" known throughout the city as Bulk and Skull. The two were interesting additons to Alphabet Soup. Skull had previously been in the program, but certain events led him to being cut out of the program and his brain getting scrambled by the government to forget what had happened. Apparently something went wrong (which thing Ernie was apprehensive could happen to _any_ of the kids with the vast amount of drugs being pumped into their systems) and he not only forgot his time in Alphabet Soup, but also dropped several points in his IQ. Curiously, he kept his talents as a musician extraordinaire, and Kaplan wanted to see if he could further study the boy's mind.

Bulk was even a more curious case than Skull. He was legitimately an "idiot". Born with a low IQ and an equally low amount of self-discipline and dedication, he had one gift: his strength. Just as it was with Jason, Bulk seemed to have an abnormal connection to his motor units, helping him have an insane amount of power and also muscular endurance. He even held the school bench press record, which was an insane (aka normally impossible with normal Human standards) amount of one thousand and nine reps... at one hundred and fifteen pounds, at that.

As they walked in, acting as if they owned the place, they took off their sunglasses. Dressed in attire that was similar of certain "punk" groups of their time, they looked as greasy as greasy could get.

"Oh, no... Look who's here," Trini whispered to Kim.

"Bulk and Skull..." Kim said, a look of disgust on her face as she saw the two bullies place eyes on her and her friend.

"Hi, girls." Bulk said, smiling a fake smile. "How about that double date?"

"Yeah!" Skull said annoyingly, chewing his gum. "What about it?"

Trini exchanged a look with Kim before smiling. "Sorry, guys."

Bulk and Skull exchanged looks themselves. Skull, suddenly uninterested, began to walk away before Bulk grabbed him by his purple suit jacket and pulled him back to his own leather jacket clad body. Seeing the extremely skinny Skull being pulled by the rather large Bulk was a sight to behold in and of itself.

Shaking his head to Skull, Bulk turned to the girls and asked, "What's the matter? We're not good enough for you?"

"Leave us alone, Bulk," Trini asked nicely. She didn't want to rock the boat, and hoped Kim wouldn't blow a fuse.

Bulk and Skull seemed annoyed. Bulk sneered before attempting his rebuttal.

"Oh, yeah? _Make_ me," Bulk said, growing more and more frustrated.

"Yeah! _Make_ me!" The parrot known as Skull hissed.

Seeing the broo-haha, Zach made his way to the two girls. He calmly stood behind them, doing a face off between himself and the two bullies.

Skull looked down at his hand, pointing to himself. He slowly moved it over to Bulk while saying, " _Him_... make _him_."

"Hey, you heard what she said," Zach said, angry.

"Oh, what do you know?" Bulk said, finding it funny that Zach decided to jump in. "The _dancer_ wants to be a fighter."

Ernie smirked. _Ever the bully. Just because you're scared and lonely inside of yourself doesn't mean you have to take it out on those who you_ _wish_ _you could be!_

 _Ah, heck no!_ Zach thought, getting ready to have a beat down with the two.

Calming herself, Kim turned to her friend. "It's okay, Zach. We can handle these two."

"Oh, _really_!?" Bulk said, half amused half angry. "Let's show them some _karate_."

Bullrushing the two like wild apes, Bulk and Skull ran ahead to tackle the two fragile looking girls. As they did, Ernie tensed up and readied himself to tackle the two boys himself.

"Stand down, Agent Finestein!" Dr. Kaplan said into Ernie's ear via the hidden earpiece. "This is all apart of the test!"

"But-" Ernie started.

"Stand down!" Kaplan repeated.

Watching in anger, Ernie was relieved to see both girls grab the boys by the arm and spin them onto their backs. The two dropped on the mats on the floor, wind rushing out of their bodies upon impact.

As people laughed, Kim looked to them and said, "You guys should _definitely_ join Jason's karate class."

"Whoop!" Zach yelped, laughing himself.

Ernie then watched as Jason summoned his students over, starting his class. He was definitely the epitome of what Alphabet Soup was all about: not only was he getting high GPA in school, not only did he train rigorously, but he also _taught others_ , and he didn't even need to. He was certainly a renaissance man, and he was only fifteen years old.

As they practiced, both Kimberly and Ernie noticed Billy having a hard time keeping up. Jason noticed it and stopped the class with a "ba ro" call.

Placing a hand on Billy's shoulder, Jason said, "Billy, try this."

Billy watched as Jason went through the motions of the attack again. He swallowed hard as he saw Jason's biceps flex as he went through each movement.

 _Ah, man... who am I kidding!?_ Billy lamented. _I'll never be able to be as good as him! Look at him! He's a_ _beast_ _!_

Not wanting to look like he had been defeated, he went through and followed Jason, mimicking each step of the routine. As Jason got to a more complicated portion of the routine, Billy finally threw in the towel.

"I'm just not good at this," Billy lamented as the students pretended not to be annoyed at the pause in their lesson.

"Billy, don't worry." Jason said, patting him on the back. "I mean, even I was a beginner once."

 _Even_ _I_ _?_ Kimberly thought, overhearing Jason's pep talk. _A little too into yourself, don't ya think?_

As Billy composed himself, Jason returned to the front and called everyone to attention. "All right class. What does martial arts help us develop?"

Happy that Billy was one of the first to raise their hands, Jason called upon him. Jason had thought ahead, figuring if he couldn't get Billy to feel good about himself through the physical portion of martial arts that he could get him to begin to look on the bright side by hitting a question out of the park.

As Billy began to rattle off the answer, proud of himself, Ernie noted Bulk and Skull making their way to the practice area, wearing karate unifroms under sleeveless jackets. Ernie wanted so badly to beat the two till they couldn't blink, but knew he had to control himself.

As Jason congratulated Billy for a good job Bulk yelled out, "Hey!"

Jason stared at Bulk, leaving a blank look on his face. Deep inside, though, he wanted to lash out and attack the round mound of sound. But that's why he did martial arts: to learn how to control the abilities he knew he had.

"Geek." Bulk spat as he pushed one of the pupils out of his way.

 _You're gonna pay for that punk._ Jason thought, keeping his outer appearance proper.

As he shoved Billy, Bulk paved the way for Skull to follow him up to the area. "Teach us how to beat people up."

 _I'll teach ya..._ Ernie thought, staring from his spot at the bar. _And I'll use you both as my practice dummies!_

As Skull finished being annoying with the various sounds that spewed out of his mouth, Jason calmly addressed his students while answering Bulk's request. He was cool, calm, and collected as he declared that martial arts was not developed to be weaponized.

"We did _not_ sign up for a geeky karate class," Bulk complained.

"Did you hear that, Finestein!?" Kaplan gasped.

"Yeah, they think karate lessons are stupid. So what?" Ernie muttered as he pretended to wipe down the counter.

"No! Kimberly told him to sign up for karate, and he _did_! Initiative! He _listened_ to someone else!" Kaplan said from his room behind the juice bar, watching the surveillance footage. "This is _amazing_!"

"What would be amazing would be if Jason pounded him right now," Ernie said, half wishing it to happen.

"It _would_ be amazing, since it is not in his documented character," Kaplan replied.

All the while, Jason had hatched his plan and was following through with it to embarrass Bulk, and also help him realize that martial arts wasn't something to be toyed with. He tricked Bulk into following his movements, getting Bulk to try a tornado kick. The large boy miscalculated and comically fell to his back. Many laughter was had at his expense.

"Class dismissed," Jason said happily.

A few moments later, the five teens were congregated around a table, waiting for their "smoothies". As they drank, Jason turned to Billy.

"Billy, I'm telling you, for your first lesson you did _really_ well," Jason said truthfully.

"I did?" Billy said, looking around at the four kids who had adopted him as a pet project. Billy had been picked on a lot when he first entered the school, and the four do-gooders had each individually decided to stick up for him. After they had all crossed paths sticking up for Billy, they decided to befriend each other and do more things together.

"Yeah, we were watching you," Kim said, beaming at the boy.

Billy's self-defeating nature kicked in, though. "Yeah, I don't know if I've got what it takes."

"It's all a state of mind," Trini said, repeating something she heard her Uncle Howard say many, many times. "You don't need to be strong for this."

 _How did she know Jason's strength intimidated me!?_ Billy marveled once again about Trini's intuition.

"It's all up here," Zach added, hitching his wagon to Trini's horse as he pointed to his own head.

 _I guess it's time for your dose..._ Ernie thought bitterly as he made his way to the kids.

"Hey, guys," Ernie said, trying to sound normal and not upset.

"Hey, Ernie!" They all greeted their friend in unison.

"Who ordered the spinach juice?" Ernie asked.

As Billy raised up his hand, there suddenly was an earthquake felt. Ernie felt the first couple of tremors and knew what was happening immediately.

"Oh, no! It's an earthquake!" Ernie screamed. "Everybody stay calm!"

As he did, he heard Kaplan in his ear. "Get here to the back. _Now_!"

Turning around to follow orders, Ernie spotted Bulk out of the corner of his eye. Smiling to himself, he faked that the tremors were affecting him and tossed the platter full of drinks onto the horrible bully.

As he rushed back, he slyly added, "Sorry Bulk!"

Ernie rushed into the backroom. As he did, he saw Kaplan staring at his monitors as white as a sheet. When Ernie looked at them, he imagined that he too adopted that same color on his own cheeks. A woman on a pennyfarthing seemed to be flying around the city on the monitors as if she were the Wicked Witch of the West. Beside he was a gold cladded warrior, looking like an Ozian winged monkey on steroids. He didn't know that they were Earth's newest threats: Rita and Goldar.

"What is going on!?" Ernie gasped.

Kaplan swallowed hard. "It's starting. Just like Rex said... it's the end, and we're not ready for it..."

"What do we do!?" Ernie demanded.

"We... huh?" Kaplan said, suddenly intrigued with something else. "That's odd. There's an absurd amount of energy being pumped into the Juice Bar area. It's coming from the mountain range surrounding the city."

Ernie watched as Kaplan switched the surveillance to the main room behind them. On the screen were Zach, Kim, Jason, Billy, and Trini. They were trying to steady themselves, but it seemed as if they were almost stuck in place. As if they wanted to leave and run outside with everyone else, yet they couldn't.

"This is too weird..." Trini was heard saying.

"It's them..." Kaplan deduced. "They can feel it pulling at them..."

"Hold on!" Jason yelled out intuitively as the Morphing Energy began to be concentrated around them.

Ernie and Kaplan blinked several times as they each were beamed out of the building. Neither could believe what they had just seen. It was like out of a dream.

"What... what was that?" Ernie asked, in a daze as the earthquake continued.

"I don't know..." Kaplan answered.

"Now what?"

"Now...? Now we tell General McKnight what we just saw," Kaplan stated. "This could change Alphabet Soup forever!"

"If we survive this alien invasion, that is," Ernie said darkly as he felt the massive tremors continue. "I just pray some miracle happens that will save us all."

. . .

"Whoa!" The five teens yelled in unison as they landed on the floor of the Command Center. They were heaped in a pile in front of the Viewing Globe.

" _These_ are the ones your ATTITUDE algorithm picked up?" Saba asked as he stood by Zordon in the Time Warp Dimension.

"Appearances are deceiving," Zordon replied.

"Why did you specifically ask Alpha for teenagers? And why 'overbearing'?" Saba asked.

"Because I know that was what the ATTITUDE algorithm would spit out," Answered Zordon casually as he continued to spy the newcomers. "I've been looking into it. Since we don't sleep, that's how I choose to use my spare time."

"Well, I just hope the zords that _Keeper_ individual helped us finish aren't too much for them to handle," Saba said, still weary of the five.

As Zordon and Saba exchanged remarks, viewing the five teens but not turning the Command Center tube on just yet, the teens investigated the Command Center.

"This isn't exactly the mall, is it?" Kim asked.

 _Seriously?_ Zach thought to himself.

"This place is _magnificent_!" Billy declared, feeling as if he'd died on gone to heaven.

 _Jack will love to see all of this!_ Billy thought, looking around at the consoles and thinking of his best friend, his mouse Jack.

"I don't get it," Zach said. "How'd we end up here?"

"I just want to know where he _is,_ " Trini stated, being practical about the matter.

"Maybe the answer's in these controls..." Billy postulated.

As Billy did so, Alpha 5 could no longer control himself. He'd been ordered by the interdimensional Wizard known as Zordon to call for the teens once he had seen Rita attacking downtown Angel Grove. After the summons had been sent, Zordon asked Alpha 5 to stay to the side, to see how the newcomers would react so Zordon could study them out for a bit.

 _Those are_ _my_ _controls!_ Alpha 5 thought bitterly as he rushed from the shadows toward Billy.

"Don't touch that!" He screamed, tripping over his feet in the rush to get to Billy.

As the Droid fell, the crew rushed over to help him up. They were quite unsure of who or _what_ Alpha 5 was.

"Whoa!" Billy exclaimed. "A fully sentient, multifunctional automaton! Never seen anything like it! Whoa..."

Zordon looked over to Saba and smiled. "It's time..."

Saba nodded. "Let's see how they react to a giant, floating head."

Focusing on his Nathadian Magic, the power of Zordon's birthright (the Order of Meledon) flowed from him and activated the tube in the Command Center. Red Magic hit the Command Center on the main plane on Earth, causing Morphing Energy to turn the tube on and project a fuzzy image of Zordon't face to the teens. The image had to be as unfocused as possible to not drain too much energy from the Command Center.

"Welcome, Humans," Zordon declared.

"That's a little... uptight..." Saba said as the teens reacted.

Zordon turned from the tube and shrugged. "I have to make an impression!"

Jason folded his arms across his chest and stepped toward the tube. "So who are you?"

"Like, _what_ are you?" Kimberly added.

"Brave, astute... They may be the ones _after all,_ " Saba said.

Nodding, Zordon continued to look at those who were to be his new team. "I am Zordon, an interdimensional being caught in a Time Warp."

As Alpha 5 turned and introduced himself, Saba looked to Zordon. "Why does your voice sound like that? Is that a _British_ accent?"

Whispering, Zordon said, "Yes. Humans seem to respect that accent more. I had Alpha program it in."

"Well, it sounds like _my_ accent," Saba replied. "Sure I shouldn't be the one talking?"

Hearing Kimberly say that she was confused, Zordon continued to speak. "It's quite simple. This planet is under attack. I brought you here to save it."

"Just like that?" Saba asked.

"Simplicity!" Zordon whispered.

"Oh, yeah right," Zach said.

"Ah! A nonbeliever," Zordon said, amused. "Look behind you at the Viewing Globe."

 _I'm assuming he means the big ball..._ Trini thought. She saw the others thought the same and turned with them.  
"Your doubts will be answered in the images you see," Zordon stated. As Rita appeared on the Viewing Globe, he continued. "This is Rita Repulsa, an intergalactic Sorceress who wants to control the universe. With her henchmen and Putty Patrollers she plans to conquer Earth."

"It's so bizarre to see _her_ back after all these years..." Saba thought outloud, echoing Zordon's own thoughts.

"What does all of this... have to do with us?" Trini asked Zordon.

"You've been chosen to form an elite team to battle Rita," Zordon stated. "Each of you will be given access to extraordinary powers drawn from the ancient creatures you call Dinosaurs."

"What else would they call them?" Saba asked, not realizing Zordon was making himself look to be from a much different environment and time.

"Dinosaurs?" Kim asked.

Focusing, Zordon tapped the Command Center and teleported the Morphers that were in their lab (a place they called the Power Chamber) onto their belts. Zordon and those with him in the Command Center had decided with Human fashion that the Morpher being on the belt was best. Some pride swelled within him, seeing his devices on the "chosen ones".

"Behold!" Zordon said, kicking Saba as he laughed at his formality. "The keys to your power!"

"Whoa! What are these?" Zach asked.

"The... keys to your power?" Saba asked, making fun of Zach.

"Those are you Power Morphers," Zordon answered. "When in danger, raise them to the sky calling your Dinosaur's name. You will morph into a fighting force known to one and all as the Power Rangers."

As Zordon said 'Power Rangers', Jason looked up. Something inside of him resonated with that word. He felt as if it was destiny. He knew not that it was Universal Equilibrium, calling out to him. Just as his counterpart in the previous Timeline had been a powerful Ranger, Universal Equilibrium was "glad" to see that he was one as well.

"Morph?" Kim asked.

"Metamorphosis," Billy explained.

Seeing Billy may have been to vague for Kim, Trini stepped in. "That means to change."

"As Power Rangers you have access to a universe of power and will command fighting machines called 'Zords'," Zordon explained as quickly as he could. He knew that with every second wasted, Rita was getting closer and closer to figuring out why she was reading power sources coming from Angel Grove: Zordon's secret artifacts hidden in the "Abandoned Warehouse District".

"I don't get it," Trini said.

Hoping to clarify, Zordon summoned up the scans of the ATTITUDE search. He could see their stats floating across the hologram in the sky that showed him the inside of the Command Center. He breathed in deeply and began to read off to them their qualifications.

"Jason, bold and powerful. You shall command the Tyrannosaurus Dinosaur. Zachary, you are clever and brave. You shall command the Mastodon Dinosaur."

"Not a Dinosaur..." Saba muttered under his breath. He knew what Zordon was doing, though: he didn't want to have to answer questions to the teens they didn't have. They knew not themselves why the Power Coins had been made that way.

. . .

 _ **2050 AD - The Hall of Legends**_

"Come to think of it... Why _was_ that?" Future: Omega Ranger asked, pausing the clip.

"I can't remember," Sophie stated from her ship orbiting around Earth. "Did we even see what Ninjor was doing during that time?"

"I... can't remember either," Omega said. "Sorry, this is a lot to try and remember off the top of my head! Um... I'll look it up after I finish this file. Maybe we recorded what Ninjor had done and I just don't remember. How's the firewall going, by the way?"

"Pretty badly," Sophie stated. "The more I tinker with it now, the worse it seems to be getting..."

"I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear that and get back to archiving..." Omega said, trying not to get further distraught by the fact that he was stuck in the Hall of Legends.

. . .

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B**_

Zordon looked to Kim. "Kimberly, graceful and smart. The Pterodactyl Dinosaur shall be yours. Billy, patient and wise. You shall command the powerful Triceratops Dinosaur. Trini, fearless and agile. The Sabertoothed Tiger Dinosaur will be under your command."

Finishing the list, he then looked directly at the teens. "Observe the Viewing Globe. Just as the five of you work together, so do your Zords. When you need help, you need only to turn to the power of the Dinosaurs which will come together to form the mighty Megazord."

Zach turned to Kim, seeing the look on her face. He could see she wasn't buying any of this, either. Zach turned around and looked at the tube projecting Zordon. "Power Morphers? Megazords? I dunno... This is just too weird for me. I'll tell you what- it's been real but I gotta go."

Kim nodded, agreeing with Zach. "Yeah, see ya."

As Kim and Zach turned and started leaving, hoping to find an exit out of the Command Center, the other three stayed. Jason stood stoically, staring up at Zordon. Zordon looked back, their eyes meeting. Zordon could feel a strong spirit within that young man. As the two connected, Trini stayed by his side, pondering everything she had just been told. All the while, Billy paced about while looking at the control panels of the Command Center.

Zach turned around, noticing his best friend hadn't immediately followed him. "You all coming? Jason!?"

Jason snapped out of what seemed like a trance. "What?"

Zach shook his head. "Let's go, man."

"Yeah..." Jason said, slowly breaking eye contact with his would be mentor.

"Very well, then. Let the Power protect you," Zordon said, disappointed.

"Now what!?" Saba demanded, turning to stare at his best friend.

Alpha 5 sighed. "Now _that_ didn't go very well, did it? Ay-yi-yi..."

"No, it did not," Zordon said to both of his assistants/friends. "But if you notice, they did not return the morphers. Hopefully this isn't the end of it all."

"Are you telling me you are letting them keep the morphers!?" Saba cried out.

"But Zordon! If they still have the morphers... what if they abuse the powers, or they fall into Rita's hands?" Alpha 5 asked.

"They were chosen for a reason. They do indeed have _ATTITUDE,_ " Zordon said, half trying to convince himself. "Keep an eye on them via the Viewing Globe. If they are about to lose the morphers or abuse them, teleport them back here _immediately_."

"Yes, Zordon," Alpha 5 said as the teens appeared on the Viewing Globe, exiting the Command Center.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Saba said, frustrated.

"You and me both..." Zordon replied, staring at the Viewing Globe from his shared Time Warp dimension.

As they found themselves on a mountain in the desert surrounding Angel Grove, Kim said, "Great. He could have sent us back into town."

"I hope we're still even in California..." Zach muttered.

"I recognize these rock formations. We are on a mountain range surrounding the city," Billy answered. "We're definitely still in Angel Grove."

"Well, at least there's _that,_ " Zach complained.

"Dude... what's with the negative attitude?" Jason asked. "I mean... he zapped us out here. He's obviously powerful, right? Why did you guys think he was lying?"

"Maybe he wants us to be supervillains or something. I dunno," Zach postulated.

"That wouldn't make any sense," Billy retorted. "He wants us to stop someone from destroying the city."

"That's why there are police. And the government," Kim stated. "I'm sure they're taking care of it. We're just _kids_!"

"Maybe..." Trini said. "But we dismissed it rather quickly... Maybe _too_ quickly?"

Meanwhile, up on the moon, Rita Repulsa had just returned from her first attack on Earth. It was mostly to get a lay of the land that was near Zordon's Command Center. She was intrigued about the location he had picked, not knowing its connection to the Holy War against King Michael and Beelzebub. She had indeed seen _interesting_ power signatures coming from Angel Grove, pinpointing a lot of it to the Abandoned Warehouse District. She had tried to get to it, but resistance from agents of SHIELD (a government agency who knew of and protected the powerful artifacts Zordon kept in the Abandoned Warehouse District) had come in and opened fire on Rita and Goldar. Rita, not having come prepared for such retaliation, quickly fled back to the Moon Palace created millions of years earlier by the Venerated Ones, ancient Morphing Masters who looked over Earth from the moon. Having once again set up base in the Moon Palace like she had twelve thousand years earlier, she began to look at weak spots in Angel Grove. As she did, looking through her enchanted telescope, she spotted the five chosen teens leaving the Command Center.

"Zordon, I'm surprised... teenagers?" Rita exclaimed, seeing how young the Humans were. She could _see_ Morphing Energy dancing off of them due to the morphers around their belts. She quickly deduced they were to be his new warriors. "So you think you can _stop_ me, do you? Finster, hurry up with those Putty Patrollers!"

Finster, who had been commissioned by Rita to make the Putties to fight against the government agents, heard Rita heading his way. Finster was happy to be back in his lab. It had been ten millennia since he had been able to get to work. The first thing Finster had done was to ensure his paperwork researching the Scrolls of Zordina (Zordon's manuscript for his project, the Zordina Victory Megazord that he had worked on while still a member of the United Alliance) were still where he left them, next to his research on trying to bypass Dulcea's Nathadian spell surrounding the Zeo Crystal in the Caves of Deception. The next thing he did had been to turn on his machine known as the Monster-Matic. Along with it was a book of stats Rita had given to Finster that the dog-like scientist called his own "recipe book". He would use the stats of former soldiers who had been under Rita's command to sculpt a "clone" of the fighter, who would be able to act as if they were the other fighter. Finster had learned if he had something from the fighter he was trying to clone, that he could even _resurrect_ that fighter if they had died before in battle.

"Yes, Your Evil Badness. I'm molding the last ones now," Finster replied to Rita.

Squatt, standing next to Baboo, began speaking. "Those putties will make space dust outta those kids!"

Finster nodded as he was finishing the Putties. "And the beauty is if they don't, we can always make _more_. Now into the Monster-Matic they go. Ten seconds should do it."

Rita, Finster, and the others watched as the Putties were loaded into the Monster-Matic. They were small little clay dolls, but after the machine was finished whistling and churning, its gears pumping the clay dolls through on its conveyor belts, the dolls were grown and brought to life! Out they plopped from the machine, one at a time, landing under the massive chute that extended out from the Monster-Matic.

"Now my Putties, prepare to get those ha ha-ha!" Rita cackled.

"And what do you want _me_ to do, my Empress?" Goldar asked, holding his sword tightly.

"Wait! This is a little test for the _children_ Zordon has chosen. No reason to waste you when my Putties can do them in!" Rita proclaimed, walking to her telescope to spy on the kids again.

On Earth, Jason turned to his friends "Guys, we shouldn't have left. I mean, he chose us to save the world. I say we do it."

Trini sighed, her conscious having been weighing on her. She, too, thought they shouldn't had left. "Do you really think we can?"

Zach shook his head, upset that they were actually considering having stayed. "Hey, guys? I mean...You don't even know what you're talking about. We were talking to a giant... floating _head_."

Rita smiled, turning to Goldar. "Those stupid teenagers don't know who they're messing with! Ah! Get the Putties. It's time."

Goldar laughed. _And then I will go down and test my strength against them! Once I know my strength is back up, then I will slay Rita and go back to my_ _real_ _master, Lord Zedd!_

Rita made her way down to an area where she could concentrate outside the Caves of Deception. Channeling Blue Magic into her wand, she shot out Red Energy from her wand and teleported it down to the teens standing outside the Command Center. "All right. Take that!"

On Earth, the Red Energy blast barely missed the teens thanks to Zordon feeling it coming down. Focusing, he caused the Command Center to emit enough electrons to caust the beam to go off course.

As the beam missed, Jason screamed, "Everybody down!"

Trini gasped. "What was that!?"

That's when the Putty Patrol appeared. They began to circle the teens, ready to strike them down. To eradicate them from existence.

Zach turned, seeing some of them running straight at Kimberly. "Hey! Look out!"

As they reached for her, Kim began to scream. "Let go of me!"

While she kicked out of their hold, Jason looked over as if to cue his sparring buddy. "Zach!"

Zach, figuring out what Jason was insinuating, nodded. "Right... These two are mine."

Zach began to dance. It was what he knew, what he'd done for _years_. Being able to focus on that helped him tap into his own inherent ability to copy any type of fighting style. As he fought, Jason and Trini fought back as well. They both felt odd, fighting another person for _real_. They both trained and sparred. Jason even fought in many tournaments, winning in them. But this was different. Fighting for sport or practice was not the same as fighting for one's survival. The stakes had been raised and the tension was eating away at them.

Kim did all she could, but she wasn't trained as a fighter. The best she knew to do was to do her gymnastics routine, hoping to weaponize it somehow. She was surprised when she hit one of the Putties in the chest.

 _Wow... I've never hit anyone before! It... It kinda feels good!_ She thought, unknowingly unlocking a warrior that had been residing in her all along.

Billy, however, was a tragedy. As Zordon watched the would be Blue Ranger, wielder of the Triceratops Power Coin, he could only shake his head. The boy had not a fighting skill in his body. He was bumping into the Putties, falling and twisting and pathetically flailing to not get captured.

"Zordon! He's a lost cause!" Saba gasped out. "There must have been a mistake!"

Zordon slowly shook his head. "You are missing something. Any normal person would've been completely overwhelmed. What he lacks in skill, he uses his brain. He has yet to be completely overcome."

"You're an optimist, Zordon." Saba said, smirking. "I hope you know what you're doing..."

By that point, all but Jason had been thrown to the ground. Zordon observed him, wanting to see what the computer saw in him that made him the candidate for team leader. He fought, harder than the others, but nothing that caught Zordon's eye. Although Zordon read that he was a national champion, he wasn't anything that Zordon hadn't seen coming from a first year cadet at the old Morphing Academy. Then, he saw Jason get thrown just like the others.

"Some leader..." Saba remarked, echoing outloud Zordon's thoughts.

Kim shook her head with her friends around her on the ground. "This day is _too weird_."

Ignoring Kim's remark of complete obviousness, Trini said, "What do we do now?"

Jason was unsure. He didn't know what to do, since he'd never been so outfought. _If only I had some more_ _power_ _!_

At that, Jason looked down at the morpher on his belt. "Zordon said these Power Morphers give us power. Let's do it!"

Zach grabbed his morpher first after Jason. Zordon thought it interesting that the one who was the "nonbeliever" was the first to grab onto the power of the five. Zordon began to wonder what his home situation was like. Was he automatically resistant to authority for a reason? Whatever the case, Zach initiated the "roll call". The programming in the Power Morpher coursed through the teens, using the same tech Zordon had used in his Megadroids eons ago, syncing the thoughts of the teens with the programming, sending the data into the minds of the new carriers of the power as "prompts" through their neural synapses.

"Mastodon!" Zach cried out.

"Pterodactyl!" Kim felt herself being prompted to say.

"Triceratops!" Billy declared.

"Sabertooth Tiger!" Shouted Trini.

"Tyrannosaurus!" Stoically stated Jason.

The Morphing Grid swam from the totems that were the Power Coins created by Ninjor millions of years earlier. The Power Morphers, or Regulators, absorbed the Morphing Energy and slowly distributed it throughout the bodies of the fragile Human teens. With the Power Regulator controlling how much Morphing Energy pumped through them, they were safe from having any abnormalities hit their physiology.

"Power Rangers!" They cried out in unison.

"Amazing..." Saba said as he watched the Power Rangers begin to attack the Putty Patrol. "They are already acting as one organism!"

"Yes, Saba," Zordon said. "Our programming is helping them move as a team. They are more at one with each other than they ever were with themselves. From now on, they are a _team_."

In the Command Center, Alpha 5 cried out, "Zordon, they made the metamorphosis!"

Zordon nodded, directing his attention to the hologram in the sky above his head of the inside of the Command Center. As he did, the hologram had some writing appear on it from the Command Center, stating Rita had sent down one of her minions. "Teleport them to Angel Grove City. Rita just sent down Goldar."

"Right away, Zordon." Alpha 5 said as he punched in the coordinates to Goldar's location.

As they continued to fight the Putties, the five newly created Power Rangers felt themselves be lifted off the ground like they had been moments earlier when Zordon first summoned them. Suddenly they were turned into beams of Morphing Energy, flying through the air toward downtown Angel Grove.

"Where are we going?" The Pink Ranger asked, confused about why they were suddenly taken out of the battle.

If the Red Ranger could've smirked (not being able to due to being just a beam of energy), he would have. "We're going to save the world."

"What about the Putties outside the Command Center!?" Alpha 5 asked nervously.

"Teleport them to Japan. I'm sure the Samurai Rangers would love some practice dummies." Zordon said as he used his energy to send a message to the Samurai Ranger's mentor, a stern man and hard worker named Ji.

As that happened, the five rangers landed in a plaza outside of Angel Grove.

"All right, let's do it," Red Ranger stated, ready for action.

"Hi-ya!" The others cried out.

Goldar kicked a SHIELD agent away from him as he fought off groups of soldiers atop a building's roof, turning around when he heard the shouts below. Moving to the edge of the building, he frowned upon seeing the five colored rangers. As he saw them, he recognized their pattern. They weren't exactly the same and lacked the Dragon Shield, but they were obviously made in the same vein as the Green Ranger who had beaten him years earlier. The Ranger who humiliated him and for whom he swore vengeance. Vengeance that he got when he helped Knasty Knight slay the former Green Ranger, Burai, on Tarmac 3.

"Hi-ya!" Goldar screamed, landing on the ground as he leapt from the building top. As he landed, Putties appeared around him, sent by Rita. "Get them!"

As the Power Rangers began fighting off the Putties, the SHIELD agents above began to spy the fight. "What are our orders!?"

Hearing the squad leader, Commander Nick Fury frowned in his base as he watched the fight. Before he could answer, he saw his computer begin to flash. Furrowing his brow, he leaned over to see why. Suddenly, Zordon appeared on his computer screen.

"Fury. These are my fighters. The being who is attacking Angel Grove is an intergalactic Sorceress known as Rita Repulsa," Zordon said. "She is far too powerful, and her minion Goldar would destroy your soldiers. Please focus on stopping her squadrons of Putty Patrollers from pillaging the Abandoned Warehouse District."

"I already have men there. I-" Fury began.

" _All_ of your men. There are important things there Rita _cannot_ get," Zordon said. "This is what I've been talking to you about, Fury. We must buckle down now..."

"This is the Countdown to Destruction?" Fury said, hoping that his fear that this was actually it would've been wrong.

Zordon sighed. "It may very well be. Let my fighters handle Goldar and the bigger fighters. Fend off the Putties at the Warehouses."

"Will do," Fury said.

"May the Power protect you..." Zordon stated as he logged off.

"May it protect us all, ya big blue head." Fury said, pounding his fist on his desk. "Men!? This is Commander Fury. All available agents to the swarm of grey skinned punks in the Abandoned Warehouse District _now_."

Meanwhile, up in the Moon Palace, Rita screamed, "Finster, those stupid Putties are getting beaten by a bunch of pimple-faced nitwits! They're _pathetic_!"

Squatt, hoping to be helpful, said, "How about making Goldar big with your wand?"

Rita didn't want to admit that Squatt had actually given her a good idea, so she replied by saying, "I always have to do _everything_ myself. Finster, I'll deal with you later!"

"Oh, dear," Finster said, wondering how he could've been better for Rita.

Rita made her way to her balcony. The only thing that was fueling her intentions was pure Rage. There was no rhyme or reason. The spell Zedd had placed over her was causing her to not have any logic in her mind. She was solely a being of reaction. She remembered Zordon imprisoning her, and all she wanted was to shut him down because of it. Breathing in deeply, she arched her arm back, ready to toss her wand.

"Magic wand! Make my Goldar... grooooooow!"

Zordon could feel it. The wand was chucked down and sent flying toward Earth. It hit the ground, Blue Magic and Red Energy blasting out of it and hitting the ground. In the form of vapors that Magic flew up and it Goldar, causing him to grow to astronomical sizes. He growled and laughed as he reached full size.

The Red Ranger staggered back, "Look at him, that dude's _huge_!"

Goldar laughed again, turning and beginning to look around to see what damage he could cause. He had been able to get to the heart of the city, which had proven to be difficult with the SHIELD forces fighting back. While the Putties worked hard to get to the artifacts in the Abandoned Warehouse District, Goldar decided he'd do his best to cause problems, while proving his worth against these new Power Rangers.

As Goldar swung about, wanting to attack, Red Ranger screamed at him, "Back off, fang face!"  
The Black Ranger, feeling the energy from the Red Ranger, added, "The good guys are here."

Out of character, Blue Ranger yelled, "Get off our planet."

"Cause we're the _Power Rangers_!" The Yellow Ranger declared.

Pink Ranger got into the groove of things with the others. "And we're not backing down. Hiyah!"  
As Goldar continued his rampage, Red Ranger cried out almost as if by instinct, "Dinozord power!"

Zordon watched in pride as the Dinozords came out of their hiding places. The Mastodon Zord from the Antarctic, the Pterodactyl from a tropical volcano, the Triceratops from a desert, the Sabertooth Tiger from a jungle, and the Tyrannosaurus from deep underground. The work that he, Alpha 5, and the knowledge from an ancient sage known as Seeker had put into it had finally come to fruition.

Red Ranger was smiling behind his visor as the zord appeared in the city, having teleported from his hiding spot. Focusing, he jumped as high as he could, finding himself landing a top the zord. "Yeah! All right!"

Feeling the promptings from his Morpher, Red Ranger ran to a small opening and found himself sliding down into the cockpit of the Dinozord.

"Log on!" He ordered, seeing the console before him.

As Blue and Black Rangers jumped up to their zords, Blue yelled, "Let's do it."

The Yellow Ranger yelled as she and Pink jumped up to their zords, "Going up!"

"Zach here, this is kicking!" Black Ranger said, looking around in awe.

"This is Billy- let's go," Blue Ranger said, extremely impressed with the tech he was seeing.

"Trini here, ready!" Yellow Ranger declared.

"Hey, nice stereo," Pink Ranger said, adding some humor to the tense situation.

Goldar growled as he saw the five zords storming toward him. He was suddenly flashing back to the time he had first met Zordon's Megadroid, and Zordon was doing the same in his own mind as he watched from his Time Warp. It was so similar to the time that he, Orion, Delphine, Gosei, and Dulcea had piloted the five Droids during the events in M51 leading to the Final Siege on Onyx.

"Megazord power... _on_!" Red Ranger stated, activating the command to have the zords merge.

Suddenly understanding the command, Yellow Ranger said, "Trini here. This is amazing! I seem to know how to drive this thing!"

"Affirmative, I do too," Blue Ranger replied. "It's almost like second nature to me."

As the zords merged, the cockpit in the T-Rex zord grew and had more seats in it to accommodate the four rangers who were teleported into those new seats.

"All right guys, let's go _get_ 'em," Red Ranger said, happy to see he would be sitting with his team.

"Right!" They replied in unison.

Goldar shot a blast from his sword at them. The fire hit the tank, but didn't seem to do much damage. It did rock them, though, causing them to yell out as it did.

Goldar puffed out his chest at the tank approaching him. Even though his throat wasn't healed, he wanted to speak to them in his own voice. "You and your weapons are no match for me."

Red Ranger felt the tech flowing through him, prompting him. "Let's see what this baby can _do_!"

As Goldar went to attack, Blue Ranger and Black Ranger inputted the commands into their consoles. Morphing Energy erupted from the cannons on the tank they had formed of the five zords.

"Yeah! Zap him again!" Red Ranger cried out as he saw Goldar get hit.

Goldar screamed as the blast hit him, causing him to fall. He wanted to test out his wings, but felt too much pain in his back still. He had been able to fly momentarily in his initial attack of Angel Grove, but since then the pain was too much for him to bear.

"All right!" Red Ranger said happily as the tank pulled up closer. "Let's send this guy _back_ where he came from."

As the team answered in the affirmative, Red Ranger said, "All right, guys, _power_ it up. Activating Megazord _Battle_ Mode."

With each team member activating the consoles like they knew they should, the computer declared, "Megazord sequence has been initiated."

While the tank began to stand up from its Tank Mode, Zordon watched curiously. "Saba? Do you notice how they seem to be speaking more in unison than before?"

"Why, yes," Saba said. "They are definitely becoming the soldiers you need."

Zordon frowned. "But... perhaps it's too much? I... I don't want to take away their individuality..."

"This is war," Saba stated dryly. "We need soldiers and they are them."

"But they know not what the tech is doing to them," Zordon retorted. "Is this our place?"

"What's the alternative, Zordon?" Saba asked him, folding his arms across his chest.

"I... I don't know," Zordon said truthfully. He then turned around to watch the Pteradactyl Zord attach and form the mighty Megazord.

"Megazord _Activated,_ " The computer stated.

Angry, Goldar jumped at them, slashing at Megazord's face, then chest. The Megazord staggered back before doing a fist parry of another attack, following up with a punch to Goldar's chest. Goldar then slashed again, only to be deflected. Zach then commanded the Megazord to do a quick backhand to Goldar's chest.

Blue Ranger was shocked as Goldar continued to stand. "Jason! That blow didn't even [i]phase[i] him."

Red Ranger was just as stumped. " _Man_! He's coming _at_ us!"

Goldar jumped into the air again. Seeing the Megazord was planning a defense against a sword attack, Goldar stretched out his feet and planted them on Megazord's chest. The Megazord fell back, shouts of fear being heard from the rangers.

"They're... they're just kids..." Zordon said, wanting to pull the plug on the whole thing. "They're not ready yet!"

"Neither were we!" Saba screamed. "But what happened!? We were manipulated by the Guardian and the others in the Hall of Legends! Thrust into an interdimensional, Time travel laced, universal war against beings far more powerful than we were! Just like we were trusted with a large task, we have to have faith now that these kids have the power to do what we need them to!"

Red Ranger clenched his fist, looking to his team. "Hang on!"

As Goldar rushed again, Red Ranger screamed, "Look out!"

The Rangers focused, Yellow and Blue Rangers doing all they could to manage the Megazord's feet and stance. Black Ranger pushed buttons and turned hand controls furiously, blocking punches and a kick from Goldar. Meanwhile, Pink Ranger tried to keep managing the shield defenses of the Megazord while Red Ranger had an overall control, helping all systems simultaneously (as well as controlling the head exclusively).

"You fools are _finished_!" Goldar screamed, ready to take the enemies down.

That's when it happened. A surge of power flew through the Red Ranger. It was time, and he knew it. The battle had gone on long enough, and an escalation was deemed necessary by the computer system, run by the power of the Order of Meledon.

"Power Sword!" Red Ranger cried out.

Morphing Energy crackled in the heavens above. It surged and mixed with the power coming from the Megazord. It materialized and morphed into a giant sword, mixed with a power Zordon was working on called the Power of Thunder. The sword, programmed to work in conjunction with the Megazord, flew toward it. Black Ranger tried, but both he and Red Ranger were unable to coordinate and missed the sword. The Power Sword landed in the ground, Morphing Energy charged and dancing off of it. The Megazord made its way over to it, plucking it out of the dirt

Goldar felt his stomach in knots. He could feel immense power coming from it. Fearing his own life, he took two steps back away from the Megazord. "Ah, this isn't over. I'll be _back_."

As Goldar vanished back up to the Moon Palace, Blue Ranger cried out, "We did it!"

"All right!" Yellow Ranger declared.

"Yes!" Both the Black and Pink Rangers shouted.

"Yeah!" The Red Ranger said, feeling himself brimming with joy.

"Rangers? You will be teleported up to the Command Center immediately." Zordon said, smiling from ear to ear. "Your zords will be teleported back to their hiding places after that happens."

"Ready when you are, Zordon!" Red Ranger said, smiling himself, unable to believe he was actually a superhero.

. . .

Rita screamed up on the Moon Palace. "I can't believe they beat us!"

Baboo, hoping no one would notice how he had done absolutely nothing, began to point fingers at Squatt. "This is all _your_ fault, Squatt. You should've helped."

Ignoring those two, Rita turned to her number one general. "Goldar, you failed!"

Goldar stopped himself, biting his tongue so he didn't say anything that would further anger Rita. He knew after that fight that he was not yet ready to take her on, if he couldn't even fight five Humans. "It won't happen again, Empress."

Rita sneered. "Shut up, I've got a headache!"

As she left them, she made her way to the place that had once been her room. As she slammed the door behind her, she stopped dead in her tracks. She was shocked to see before her Darkonda, the secret agent of the United Alliance of Evil.

"Rita Repulsa..." Darkonda said, chuckling. "Now, how did you happen to get out of your little dumpster?"

" _You're_ still around!?" Rita demanded. "My, my... it seems as if you are harder to put down than you appear!"

Darkonda chuckled. "Well, at least I didn't age like you have."

"What do you want!? You're not welcome here!" Rita yelled.

"I'm on task from Dark Specter himself," Darkonda said.

Rita swallowed hard. "Dark Specter!? He's still alive!?"

"Oh, yes. The United Alliance of Evil was mere _days_ away from attacking Earth themselves." Darkonda stated, beginning to pace back and forth as he spoke. "Dark Specter has sent me to ask you... Where are you allegiances? Are you still with the United Alliance, or do you fight for yourself?"

Rita wanted to yell, scream, and destroy Darkonda. She knew that she couldn't, though. With all the Rage in her, she still held a very healthy fear of Dark Specter. She knew that if she did anything to infuriate him, he'd have her hide before she could try to run.

"Once a member of the United Alliance of Evil, _always_ a member..." Rita said begrudgingly.

"Smart. I will let Dark Specter know." Darkonda said, activating his invisible portal to his ship. "And welcome back to the fold. Stay put for now: Dark Specter will give you your orders soon..."

"Nooo!" Rita screamed, shooting a blast of Blue Magic at the wall before her. "Not again! A prisoner _again_!"

She then sighed, plopping down on her bed. As she did, she felt something in her pocket. Reaching in, she pulled out the artifact that had been on her person for the past ten thousand years: the Green Dragon Coin that had once belonged to Burai. She knew not that it was the Ghost of Darkness influencing her actions at that point.

"I defeated your forces once before using this... I can do it again!" Rita cried out. "Watch your back, Dark Specter! Rita is back and ready to fight!"

. . .

Zordon looked at the group before him. "Congratulations on a job well done. Now that you have become Power Rangers you must follow three basic rules or lose the protection of the power. First, never use your power for personal gain. Second, never escalate a battle unless Rita forces you. And finally, keep your identity secret. No one may know you are a Power Ranger."

Upon hearing the rules of the Order of Meledon, Zach said, "Oh, wait a second."

"Yes, Zachary what is it?" Zordon answered.

Zach sighed. "I'm not sure we're all up to this. I mean, we were pretty lucky this time."

Zordon shook his head. "Luck had nothing to do with it. The five of you have come together to form as fine a group of superheroes as there has ever been."

"No way... really?" Kim said, having been taught to not take compliments readily.

"You've been through an extraordinary experience together. You need each other now... and the world _needs_ _you,_ " Zordon said, proud of those before him.

Jason smiled. This all felt _right_ to him. As if this is where he knew he was supposed to be all along. "Yeah, all right. I'm in."

Zach smiled as well. "Me, too."

Trini looked at them. "You can count on me."

"Affirmative!" Billy cried out, still on cloud nine about the whole thing.

"I don't know, you guys... I mean, the outfits _are_ cool and everything but my hair gets all tangled up inside the helmet. I don't think I can do it," Kim said, trying to keep a straight face.

As everyone protested, she couldn't keep up the charade. "Not! Gotcha!"

Alpha 5, still experiencing some of the after effects of the malfunctioning of the attack on Alpha 4 by the villain Prime, began to smoke from the sudden revelation. "Circuit overload! Circuit overload! Ay-yi-yi!"

Kim rushed over to him, feeling guilty. "Don't blow a fuse! Oh... You guys, I was just kidding."

Alpha 5, finally able to control himself, sighed. "Oh... _humor_! What a concept..."

Jason looked around at those in the room with him. Sticking out his hand in the center of the room, he smiled and said, "Let's do it."

One by one, they each placed their hands in on top on of one another. Once they were all in, they all shouted as they jumped up, "Power Rangers!"  
Zordon looked to Saba. "What do you think?"

"They're a little rought, but..." Saba said, smiling. "I like them. Watch out, Dark Specter. The Power Rangers are back and they aren't going anywhere!"

"You're right, Saba," Zordon said, a prompting coming to him from the Order of Meledon coursing through him. "Even after you and I are long gone... the Power Rangers will go on and defend the universe from all manner of evil. Today is the dawn of a new legacy... The legacy of a new era of Power Rangers!"

. . .

General McKnight stood in the back room of Ernie's Juice Bar, located in the Youth Center. He watched the film over and over again of the five teens teleporting out of the room. Each teen was color coded: red, black, yellow, pink, and blue. The same colors as the mystery fighters who appeared to help the alien attack. The ones General Rex said were Power Rangers, the same name he had given to the fighters they had planned on bringing in for Project Global Strike.

"Now what?" Kaplan asked as he stood behind McKnight, who was seated at the computer.

"Now...? Well, although Nick Fury trusts this Zordon contact of his... Rex does not," McKnight stated. "And if Rex doesn't, then neither do we. Keep an eye on these five. They are likely these 'Power Rangers'. We need proof of it. Meanwhile, we will need to expedite Global Strike _pronto_."

"But we don't have people ready!" Kaplan said. "The drugs haven't had time to create those who can be our soldiers!"

McKnight smiled. "Rex always has a back up plan. There are plenty of others who have yet to be brought into the fold of Alphabet Soup. If this 'Zordon' was able to make rangers of teens who we didn't deem as being ready for Alphabet Soup, then maybe our standards for being a Power Ranger are too high."

Kaplan nodded. "Yes, sir. I will let you know what I can learn about these teens."

Nodding himself, McKnight stood up and left the room. As he did, he looked at the folder he was holding in his right hand. It had a "CLASSIFIED" stamp in red ink on it. Opening it, he saw a list of people who were qualified for Global Strike. He scanned the first few names of the people, in order of who were most qualified to be in Global Strike: Tommy Oliver, Adam Park, Clark Fairweather, Aisha Campbell, Angela Fairweather, Richie Mendoza... and the list went on. Soon, Global Strike would be up and active. McKnight knew that such power that the Rangers had was dangerous outside of the hands of the government, and that soon the power would be there's.

. . .

On the Dark Fortress, Dark Specter listened to Darkonda. "Thank you for your report... Ecliptor?"  
Ecliptor, Dark Specter's right hand man, stepped forward and bowed before his master. "Yes, my emperor?"

"Take Astronema and go to Lord Zedd. Tell him that Rita Repulsa has returned and that he is going to be in charge of her attack over Earth," Dark Specter ordered.

"What!?" King Aradon of the second Machine Empire (rival to King Mondo's Empire) cried out.

Darkonda laughed as he stepped into his portal. "This is something that you all should handle amongst yourselves..."

"How _dare_ you raise your voice in my throne room!?" Dark Specter screamed.

"My apologies, your highness." Aradon said, dropping to all fours before him. "It's just that... _I_ was promised Earth."

"Things have changed. With Rita suddenly returning, I must re-plan everything," Dark Specter said. "You are more mobile than she, and she already has set up base. Even if she fails, it will give Lord Zedd plenty of information to hand to me on how we can deal with these _new_ Power Rangers Zordon seems to have had all these years."

"But, master, I-" Aradon said.

"Silence!" Dark Specter screamed. "I will call you when I need you! For now, I need you working on taking down Triforia."

"Yes, my liege..." Aradon said angrily as he stood up and left.

"Now, Ecliptor. You have your orders," Dark Specter said.

"Yes, Dark Specter." Ecliptor said as he turned and left the room himself to fetch Astronema.

Dark Specter looked out the window of his throne room. _Interesting development, Zordon. Even more Power Rangers? Well, let's see how long you can delay the_ _inevitable_ _. There is no stopping me, you_ _fool_ _. Contingency plans or not, the day_ _will_ _come when I will attack. I will invade Earth, Zordon. And when I do... that will be the day that I will take your Life! And then_ _nothing_ _will stop me from ruling the universe!_


	2. Chapter Two: High Five

**High Five**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B**_

"Ahhh! After ten thousand years I'm _free_! It's time to conquer _Earth_!" Rita cried out, reaching up toward the planet far out on the horizon as she stretched out of her Space Dumpster on the planet Nemesis.

On Earth proper, Zordon's senses were touched by his connection to the Nathadian Magic of the Order of Meledon. "Alpha, Rita's escaped! Recruit a team of teenagers with _ATTITUDE_!"

Zordon watched as Alpha 5 pushed some buttons. Within moments the five teens appeared in the Command Center. The teens knew what they were needed for as soon as they saw Zordon beam their Power Morphers to them. Jason, the one chosen as their leader, looked up at Zordon. As he did, Morphing Energy surrounded him and he became the Red Power Ranger.

"Ah!" Zordon yelled, sitting up from having been lying down on the sand on his back.

"Oh, Zordon!" Saba declared, hovering over his best friend in the midst of their desert Time Warp surrounding. "I was so _frightened_! You were working on some schematics when suddenly you _fell asleep_! I've been trying to wake you up!"

Zordon furrowed his brow, swallowing hard. He was bothered by the revelation, since that was the first time in ten thousand years since he had fallen asleep. Ever since they had been thrust out of the realm of Time, both Saba and Zordon hadn't even felt the _desire_ to sleep. For that to suddenly change _disturbed_ both scientists.

"Dad!?" Zrin yelled, appearing from a portal that led from the Hall of Legends to Zordon's Time Warp. "I came as soon as I saw Saba's message. What's wrong!?"

"I... I fell asleep." Zordon stated simply, lifting himself up from the sandy ground.

"How!?" Zrin demanded. "I thought you were immune of that in here."

Zordon closed his eyes. "I fear it may be a sign. A sign of what is to come. It may be the Order of Meledon warning me. In my sleep I had a dream. Well, a vision, really. A vision of me recruiting the new rangers..."

"Relevance?" Saba asked.

"It may be the first of many," Zrin suggested.

Zordon couldn't help but smile, proud of his son. "I agree, Zrin."

"Sorry, just a moment." Zrin said, putting a hand to his ear. "Yeah, Dad? Oh, I'm with Zordon. Yeah, I'll be there soon."

Zordon sighed, trying hard to control his anger. The _other_ Zordon, Zordon-A from Timeline A, was the one who raised Zrin, having taken advantage of the attack by the Rogue Watcher, Prime, twelve thousand years earlier. Zordon was furious knowing that no matter how good his relationship was with Zrin, Zordon-A's presence would always be felt.

"Sorry, we're working on the final touches on the Time Barrier. It should help protect this Timeline from being overwritten by anyone Time traveling," Zrin said.

"September feeling a need for that?" Saba asked, referencing the _good_ Rogue Watcher.

Zrin smiled. "Can't say anything specific. It may alter the Timeline. Could be due to just wanting to be safe, could be due to someone in your universe wanting to alter Time, or could be due to Prime himself returning. We just can't say... or be one hundred percent sure. The sooner the Barriers are up, though, the better."

"Thank you for all of the work you all are doing," Zordon said. "Any word on your mother?"

Zrin frowned. "Still no word. It could be temporal distortion caused by her universe hopping, but..."

"But you fear the Watchers may have been involved, right?" Zordon deduced. "I have had the same Fear..."

"Yeah..." Zrin said glumly.

Decades earlier (according to Earth time), Zordon's wife and Zrin's mother, Trinity, left to go search the universe for a Temporal Twin of the Nathadian warrior, Dulcea. The reason for that was because Dulcea's father (Baelfire, the Red Mage of the Tribunal of Magic) was able you save Dulcea's Spirit and keep it hovering outside of the universe in a state of preservation after she sacrificed herself to defeat the evil Morphing Master known as Ivan Ooze. Trinity had hoped to find a Temporal Twin who was on the brink of death so that they could transfer Dulcea's Spirit into the new body. Once with a new body, Zordon himself could leave the Time Warp, since his presence there was helping halt Dulcea's pull toward her home universe where she would inevitably cross over to the Afterlife, or become a Demon. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to anyone, the race of beings who monitor the multiverse known as the Watchers caught her early on in her journey and she was at that point their prisoner.

"Please let us know how the Time Barrier turns out," Saba said, deciding to break the tension.

"Yes, right..." Zrin said, stepping forward and embracing Zordon. "Stay strong, Dad."

"May the Power protect you." Zordon said, holding his son tight. "I love you."

"Love you, too." Zrin said, turning around and entering the portal back to the Hall of Legends.

"What now?" Saba asked, worried Zordon would lose focus.

Zordon looked to his long time friend, determination etched on his face. "I think it's time to introduce the Power Rangers to their Power Weapons. Let's get Alpha ready to finish the final parts to the program to connect them to their Power Morphers."

. . .

In the Youth Center, Kimberly walked up to Jason, Zach trailing behind her. "Okay, Jase, let's see you do it."

Zach smiled, glancing to the side to see Trini leading her own class in martial arts as he did. "Time to go up and up!"

Jason nodded before jumping onto the rope that was before him. That was his goal: to climb up the rope in record time.

"Come on, Jason, you can do it. Come on!" Kimberly stated, watching the strong teen climb up the rope.

"Keep going! Keep going, Jase," Kim yelled. As she did, Trini walked over.

"Jason? Jason!" Trini said, having just finished her class. Her anxiety levels were high. "Be careful! If you slip, you can _really_ hurt yourself."

"Yo, man, back off," Zach said, slightly irritated with Trini's sudden distracting behavior. "You're gonna make him nervous."

"Nervous? Man, I never get nervous-" Jason said, purposefully letting go of the rope to play with Trini. "...When I climb."

"You _should_ be," Trini said, trying to control her breathing. She was scared of heights, and even seeing someone else so high was getting to her. "Guys, I'm gonna be over there. At least its down to earth."

Zach smiled, wanting to remedy his angry outburst from earlier. "You should give it a try."

Trini coughed out a laugh of unbelief. "Are you kidding? Uh-uh... You'll never catch me climbing anything _that_ high. See ya."

Kim looked to Zach. "Looks like somebody's got a case of height fright."

Nodding, Zach caught Billy out of the corner of his eye walking in. "Yo! Billy, my main brain! What's up?"

"Hey!" The freshmen said happily. "Well, actually, I do have some exciting news to disseminate. See, I've made a significent breakthrough regarding the cross-"

Hearing Billy's voice, Jason smiled at the top of the rope climb. He had an idea. A _mischievous_ idea.

"Billy! Heads up!" Jason yelled, flying down from the top of the rope and landing on Billy's shoulders.

 _What's happening!?_ Billy thought in a fright as Jason's massive thighs hugged his head.

Ernie watched the teens from the Juice Bar, smiling and shaking his head. He couldn't help but laugh when Jason latched onto Billy and began swinging back and forth, taking the squirming nerd with him. Billy screamed in a panic, masked only by Jason's laughter.

"Did you see how Jason was able to start swinging from a dead stop!?" Kaplan yelled into Ernie's earpiece. "The sheer strength needed! It is already more than he was able to express before he joined Alphabet Soup! The drugs are working!"

Ernie frowned. _Yeah, and I'm the idiot pumping them full of the stuff..._

Laughing, Jason let go of the rope and swung both he and Billy out of the matted area. They landed right in front of Trini. She was not pleased.

Zach laughed. "You guys should try out for the circus!"

As fate would have it, Bulk and Skull walked in right then. Bulk saw the five having fun, and naturally wanted to squash it.

"Nah. The circus don't take _geek_ clowns." Bulk stated, walking by and pushing a punching bag to the side.

Skull laughed. "That's great. That is _so_ funny."

Kim sneered, the inner cheerleader in her coming out as she saw the two outcasts. "Why don't you guys just crawl back to the ooze you came from?"

Bulk gave her a condescending look. "Oh, that's _funny_ , especially coming from a friend of the, uh... _monkey man_ here."

As Skull let out a high pitched laugh, Jason quickly formulated his revenge. "Yeah? At least I can make it _all_ the way to the top."

The ever loyal Skull frowned, stepping up to confront Jason. "Hey, hey, hey. You sayin' that Bulk can't do it?"

"Fascinating!" Kaplan declared. "He's standing up to an alpha male to protect the leader of his pack! True loyalty!"

As Jason just stood, arms folded and staring Skull down, the peon finally backed down. "Yeah, that's what you're sayin' alright."

Bulk grew angrier and angrier. "Step aside, and let me show you how it's _done_."

"Here we go..." Ernie muttered.

As the teens were laughing, knowing the outcome of what was to occur, Kim asked, "Are you sure you know how to work this thing?"

"What do you think I am? Stupid?" Bulk said, offended.

"Well, you know what they say..." Zach said, putting on a straight face. "If the rope fits... _climb it_!"

Ernie furrowed his brow. "Hey, Kap? I thought these guys were the good guys..."

"What do you mean?" Dr. Kaplan asked from the room in the back of the Juice Bar.

As Bulk began embarrassing himself, trying to climb, Ernie sighed. "I mean... When do the bullies become the bullied? Jason knows what he's doing... Isn't there a, I dunno... _nicer_ way to do this?"

"Interesting observation..." Kaplan declared. "That is definitely something I will take into account in my report to General McKnight!"

As Bulk attempted a second time, his weight proved too much. He grabbed the rope and pulled it out of its place on the ceiling. Debris and powder from the hole in the roof fell on Bulk, coating him with an extra layer of embarrassment as people around him began to point and laugh.

Kim lowered herself (literally and metaphorically) to Bulk's level a looked at him in the face as he lay on the ground on his back. "Oh, yeah, Bulk, you, uh... really showed us this time, didn't you?"

Oblivious to her sarcastic manner, Skull nodded. "Yeah. Showed them!"

. . .

Up on the Moon Palace, Rita began laughing as influences from the Ghost of Darkness hit her. "Those Power Rangers are gonna wish they never tangled with _me_! I'll trap them in a Time Warp the same way I did Zordon, and when I'm through, the world is going to be _mine_! Ah-hahaha!"

As she laughed, Finster continued to toil away in the lab. He had been tasked with his assignment: take the shuttle which had once belonged to NASA (the same shuttle which had been used to go to Nemesis, leading two astronauts to the space dumpster holding Rita and her gang of evil) and infuse it with Rita's Blue and Time Magic. Finster was doing a delicate balance of tech and Magic, trying to get the device up and running. He was certain that he would soon be done, and that he would be able to mimic the same spell that caused Zordon and Saba to be trapped outside of Time.

Meanwhile, on the random rock the Ghost of Darkness had decided to call home, he laughed. _Yes... soon the time will come when I will start the Reunion! Once Zordon and his Power Rangers are out of the way, then the universe will feel my power! My cells will permeate the expanse and bring everything into a singularity... I will be a god!_

. . .

Dr. Kaplan listened intently to his surveillance system as he picked up a rather _interesting_ conversation happening between the teens who he was fairly certain were the new mysterious Power Rangers. Billy, one of the brightest kids in Alphabet Soup, was the one speaking. It seemed to be about some sort of technical device.

"You see I, uh... I finally completed a narrow-beam transmission module that will allow wave function over an extended interval." Billy said as he led the way out of the Youth Center. When he didn't hear a reply, he turned and looked at the crew. "Well? Aren't you all excited?"

Zach sighed. "Well, I will be as soon as I figure out what you just said."

Trini, who was another high ranking "brain" in the secret organization of Alphabet Soup, saw she needed to explain. "He's created a communication device using microwaves."

Turning from his locker, grabbing the devices he had slaved over with Jack (his best friend who was a mouse), Billy said, "Affirmative. See, we now have connection to Zordon and Alpha in the Command Center."

Kim looked as the device, which looked like a metal watch, was handed to her. Strapping it on her wrist (as did the others), she felt as if she was filled with pride. She noted that each communication device was lined with the respective color of each ranger. She was touched at Billy's attention to detail.

"This is _morphenomenal,_ " Kim declared, repeating a word Zordon had used about the team in a meeting they had with Zordon earlier that week.

"They respond to tactile pressure followed by auditory stimulus," Billy said, thinking it would make sense to the four before him.

Trini was the only one to fully understand his verbiage. She decided to translate. "So what you're saying is that we just touch and talk... Like this..."

Before Billy could react, Trini pushed the button. Her proximity to the other three rangers caused a magnetic wave that not only activated her device, but also theirs. Billy sighed as he saw that.

"The neutrino power grid must have crossed molecular-" Billy began as he pushed his own button, causing him to teleport as well.

 _I'm going to have to make sure that doesn't happen in the future... We can't have one communicator activate them_ _all_ _!_ Billy thought as he found himself being a mass of Blue Morphing Energy.

"Did you see that!?" A girl asked her friend as they both stood, dumbfounded outside of the locker area. They had seen the entire event.

In the back of the Juice Bar, Kaplan scowled. "We need clean up here... _immediately_. Send in Agent Mendoza."

The two girls still stood where they had been, discussing what the event my had meant. Were they apart of the alien invasion? Were they apart of some government resistance? What did it mean for _them_? What little they knew was that those questions would mean nothing for them in a matter of moments...

The man who Dr. Kaplan had asked for, Agent Richie Mendoza, walked casually up to the girls. He had been briefed quickly about what had happened and left up to his discretion on how to "clean up".

"You saw it, too!?" Richie gasped.

The first girl turned and nodded. "Yeah! What was it!?"

"Oh, no! It was my science project for Ms. Applebee!" Richie lied. "You may have been exposed to radiation!"

"Huh!? What!?" The second girl shrieked.

"Come with me!" Richie demanded. "I'll help you guys out!"

It was a rush. Before they knew it they found themselves in the back of Richie's van, petrified. They suddenly realized how _odd_ the whole situation was.

"Why are you driving off? Where are we going?" The first teen asked.

Richie pushed the button on his steering wheel which simultaneously pulled up the glass separating the driver's area from the back passenger seats and also emitted a gas into the back to knock the girls out. "Nowhere nice."

As he pulled out of the parking lot, he opened up his glove compartment. Sitting in it was his silencer pistol, his weapon of choice. He had long since stopped feeling guilt or remorse for his actions. He was ready to do what was needed, and that's what General McKnight wanted of him. He was the perfect agent.

. . .

In the Command Center, Zordon had watched with fascination as the teens had appeared in the Command Center. As they tried to right themselves, Zordon looked to Saba.

"It would seem as if Billy happened to accidentally create a teleporter in his communication device," Zordon said to Saba, beaming.

"Perhaps he should be the leader of the team?" Saba wondered outloud.

"Well, he may need more training up, but he definitely has potential," Zordon agreed. "For now, we will keep Jason in that spot. Billy may grow to fill that spot, though. Only time will tell..."

As the teens spoke with Alpha 5, Zordon focused on the hologram to speak via the tube in the Command Center. "I command your latest invention, Billy. Not only have you created a communicator, but you've also tapped into the Command Center's teleportation unit. With proper adjustments, it will allow you to teleport here in an emergency. But until Alpha can reprogram it, it will serve as a two-way communication link between the Command Center and each other. From wherever you are."

Alpha grabbed Billy's communicator. He took one of his tech guns and began shooting Morphing Energy into it, causing it to connect to the Command Center as well. "Hmm. This is easy. I just have to reflux the- Uh-oh. Oh! No, no, no! Ai yi yi yi yi yi!"

As Alpha 5 accidentally infused himself with the Morphing Energy (causing him to go haywire and begin to speed around the teens), Zordon sighed. "I miss Alpha 4..."

"But he _is_ Alpha 4," Saba replied, confused.

"He still has the same Spirit and programming, but... ever since Prime attacked him and nearly destroyed him, he's never been the same. Prime caused more damage than King Lexian could fix," Zordon lamented. "He is... how can I say it...? Immature now."

Saba nodded. "I can see that, yes. Makes sense. Anyway we can fix it?"

"I don't know of any way myself," Zordon said. "It's not that he's broken, just... well, hopefully his artificial intelligence will be able to re-learn some of the skills he used to have through interaction with our new ranger team."

"And what is your verdict on this new team?" Saba asked.

"They are bright, but other than that I'm not sure," Zordon replied. "Only after more attacks from Rita will we be able to see that."

"Mentioning Rita, how long do you think until she attacks again?" Inquired the red feline.

Zordon sighed. "Only time will tell. If she is any bit as devious and cunning as she was in the past, then this long wait is only a warning to us that whatever she is planning will be a major threat... A threat I _hope_ the rangers can handle."

. . .

Up on the Moon Palace, Rita turned to Baboo. Although Finster had been the one assigned to work on the device, Baboo was delegated the task of putting the device into the space shuttle. Having had used her Magic, Rita was able to shrink the shuttle into something easier to conceal and send back to Earth. Rita was quite excited to see her plan come to fruition.

"Baboo, is the Time Device ready, or have you messed it up!?" Rita shrieked.

"I managed to get it ready, even though this lunkhead slowed me down!" Baboo reported, slapping Squatt on the head.

Rita smiled. "Now, that looks okay!"

"It's all programmed. It'll fly down to Earth-" Baboo began.

"-And wherever it lands, it'll open up a hole in Time!" Squatt said, finishing Baboo's sentence.

Baboo continued. "Finster's Monster will trap them in the hole and they'll be gone forever!"

Pleased with the results, Rita made her way to the lab area. "Finster, the Time Device is ready! It's time to pick a Monster!"

Turning, she looked at the clay Finster used from the enchanted land of the planet he was born from. They moved about, not sentient but animal-like. "The _babies_! Which one of the delightfully hideous creatures are we using? Hahaha! Cootchy-cootchy-coo!"

Finster continued working as he replied. "Uh, none, my Queen. I'm making a _new_ one named Bones. I'm sure he'll be perfect!"

As Finster awaited a compliment for his ingenuity on creating something _new_ , Rita replied, "He better be!"

Rita then walked over to look at his on Finster's work area. "He's so gruesome and ugly- just what I wanted!"

Finster beamed at her. "Thank you, my Queen. I've set the Monstermatic for full power!"

Finster then made his way to the machine, inserting the clay doll as he had done so many times before. "The Power Rangers will be helpless against him."

As the machine churned, Rita grew impatient, the Rage from Lord Zedd driving her to be too impulsive. "What's taking so long? He's going to be overcooked!"

Then, he descended. A skeletal warrior whose bones were made of a tough substance as of yet unclassified. He wore a dark hat and a black, red trimmed cape. He carried a sword in a small holster connected to his belt, and his voice was tinny and metallic, like a sci-f robot.

"I am Bones, at your service." He declared, taking off his head to show off one of the abilities Finster had given him.

Finster was a bit disappointed in Bones, particularly his voice. "Perhaps I should have set the machine on low..."

Seeing her warrior was set, Rita turned to Baboo and Squatt. "All right, salad brains, it's time to launch the Time Device. And I don't want any mistakes. I want the Power Rangers _gone_."

All the while, Goldar watched and studied. Unbeknownst to Rita, Lord Zedd had made contact with him as commanded by Dark Specter. Lord Zedd wanted Goldar to watch Rita, study her and report regularly on her attempts to conquer Earth.

 _What a fool Rita is..._ Goldar thought as he stared on, Squatt and Baboo clamoring around the mini shuttle that had once belonged to NASA. _This plan will fail, because she is not the rightful ruler! Soon, Dark Specter will see me, Goldar, for who I really am. The mightiest warrior in the universe! And then I will have both Rita and Zedd cowering before_ _me_ _!_

As Baboo pulled the lever on Finster's remote, the ship launch. Rita laughed as it flew away from her balcony, next to the telescope which sat atop the orb she had stolen from the Morphing Academy which served as a symbol of the Morphing Masters. As the ship continued to fly toward Earth, Rita reveled in thoughts of revenge.

"Where is that thing? I can't wait to trap those Power Geeks in my Time Warp!" She cackled as she watched from her telescope. " _There it is!_

Rita watched in glee as the ship flew down the streets of Angel Grove. She directed it toward the Abandoned Warehouse District, hoping its proximity to Zordon's precious research artifacts would coax him to send the Power Rangers soon, without a chance to get a proper plan into play. She then laughed as the rocket finally landed right outside the Abandoned Warehouse District, opening up and shooting a beam of Time Magic up and into the air. The portal to the Ghost of Darkness' new Time Warp had opened.

As the alarms in the Command Cneter went off, Billy looked around in fright. "Extreme audio oscillation."

 _Seriously?_ Trini thought. _There's a difference between being smart and not knowing when to tone down your IQ..._

Billy continued, concerned as the alarms blared. "What does it indicate? What is this?"

Zordon had his eyes closed, concentrating as soon as the alarms had gone off. The Order of Meledon's powers were surging through him, helping him to understand what the data in the surveillance around Angel Grove was telling him.

"What's the noise?" Zach asked.

"It's Rita," Zordon's altered voice said through the Command Center's audio system. "She sent a device to open a Time Trap. And the Putty Patrol is gathering outside of town. Find out what they are up to while I analyze the Time Device."

"We're out of here!" Jason said as Alpha 5 teleported them to the designated area.

"What are they doing out in the desert, Zordon?" Saba asked.

"I believe Rita is sensing power signatures to the doorway we created to get to the Hall of Legends, years ago." Zordon stated, furrowing his brow. "The Putties must be investigating, hoping I'd go get the Time Device first."

"What _is_ that Time device?" Inquired Saba.

"It's bad, Saba," Zordon stated, breaking his connection with the Command Center. "Rita has created a device that would send the rangers to a different, more powerful Time Warp. It would even be out of the reach of the Tribunal of Magic."

"Surely the Guardian could pull them out," Saba suggested.

"I don't know, and I don't want to risk it," Zordon said. "There is also something else... The time device in that machine has the potential for T _ime travel_."

"No!" Saba gasped. "But if there is Time travel, then-"

"Yes. Our Timeline will be overwritten, just like the Timeline of those in the Hall of Legends," Zordon stated.

"And then everyone in this universe will be destroyed." Tria of Triforia (Trinity's sister) said as she stepped into the Time Warp dimension from the Hall of Legends. "I don't have a lot of time here, because I'm causing Dulcea's Spirit to be pulled in closer for every moment."

"Not to mention giving the Supreme an idea of where you are," Saba added.

"Right," Tria said. "Well, this is the threat September was worried about. Get your Power Rangers to buy as much time as possible. Although we are not affected by Time, Time is still movin' linear for this universe and we can't rewind their clock. We are close to finishing the Time Barriers. We just need a little more... time."

"Fantastic news. Then not even Prime can delete this Timeline," Zordon said. "Thank you, Tria. And it is good to see you again."

Tria smiled sadly. "Don't worry, Zordon. I'm sure Trinity will find the solution to all of this soon. Soon, we'll all be togther again as a family. I _know_ it."

"I hope so." Zordon said, waving goodbye as Tria vanished back to the Hall of Legends.

"Zordon?" Saba said. "I think you need to see this..."

Zordon looked at the hologram in the sky, seeing the Viewing Globe in the Command Center. He could see Trini overcoming her free of heights, which he knew she had, to go and help Billy fend off a lone Putty. Meanwhile, he could see Jason, Kimberly, and Zach trying to hold their own against the Putties as well.

"Well, let's see what they can do..." Zordon stated. "Alpha? Status report."

"Billy lost his Power Morpher down a cliff, Zordon," Alpha 5 answered. "I'm teleporting it back onto his belt right now. They decided to not yet morph, as you requested of them earlier this week in the training meeting we had."

"Good," Zordon said. "I can't have them escalating the battle. If they do, since they're connected to my link to the Order of Meledon not only will their powers dwindle, but so will _mine_."

"Zordon?" Saba said, pointing at the screen. "They look like they're in trouble."

As the fighting continued, Jason could see they were outnumbered and outmatched. The Putties were just too strong for them. Right then, though, Billy and Trini had made their way back down the mountain, helping to free the three from the prison of clay bodies that had circled the 's when Jason had a thought.

 _Wait... Zordon told us that because of our connection to him, that we'd get inspiration on how to defeat our enemies. I... I think I'm having one right now!_ He thought, determined to defeat the enemies.

"Form a human chain! _Now_!" Jason ordered.

"Huh?" Saba wondered outloud.

After getting into position, Jason clapped and yelled for the first person to jump onto his shoulders. "Zach!"

As Zach did so, Kim ran up, seemingly connected mentally to the other two, and put Zach's feet under her armpits, back facing Jason. Jason then began to spin around in place, while Kim stuck her feet out before her. They created a sort of "spinning machine" between the three of them, kicking and pushing the Putties away.

"Most... peculiar...?" Billy stated to Trini.

Trini shrugged. "I guess this works?"

In the Command Center, Alpha 5 turned to Zordon's tube. "What are they doing?"

Zordon sighed, shaking his head slowly. "I... I have no idea, Alpha."

Saba couldn't help but burst out laughing. "It's the Order of Meledon, Zordon! That's _inspiration_!"

Zordon smiled back at Saba. "More like indigestion. I... I just hope they don't do anything like this against any _real_ threats. I mean... just... _wow_."

As the Putties ran off, covered in cactus leaves, Zordon asked Alpha 5 to tap into Billy's communicators and transmit his voice to the teens.

"Congratulations, Power Rangers. You've done a superb job dealing with the Putties."

"Human chain!" Barked Saba, laughing again.

Jabbing Saba in the side with his elbow, Zordon continued by saying, "And special congratulations to you, Trini, for overcoming your Fear in the face of an emergency."

Right then, Zordon felt another presence enter Earth. It was near where the shuttle had been placed, emitting the beam of Time Magic to open up the Time Warp. The presence was Bones, who Rita had sent to finish off her diabolical plan.

Zordon was visibly upset, even through his projection on the tube (which Alpha 5 noted). "Hold your positions, everyone. Our scanners have picked up a new threat. Rita has sent a creature named Bones down to the amusement park."

Concentrating, doing a Nathadian Scan on Bones, Zordon continued. "He can fire energy bolts out of his eyes, and jump long distances, and even make himself disappear... He probably controls the Time Device as well, so get moving, Power Rangers."

Then, Zordon thought of something. It was his sister-in-law, Tria. He thought about how many times the two had been in a bind together, and how many times her morphing call had been a sign to him that things would be okay. He looked at the five teens in the Viewing Globe and decided her old morphing call would be theirs, as well.

Ceremoniously and filled with pride, Zordon stated, "It's morphin' time!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger!"

"Tyrannonsaurus!"

Zordon watched as the five teens were teleported to the amusement park. Within moments of arriving, Bones made himself known, appearing before a carousel that he had Magically turned on for effect.

Taking off his head (being the showman that he apparently was), Bones said, "Here... Let me help you get a _head_!"

Laughing, he tossed his head up into the air and vanished. As the head began to spin in the air, Bones yelled out and activated the Time Warp in the sky.

"Into the Time Warp, all of you!" He said gleefully.

It took a moment for the rookie rangers to right themselves. They find that they were in some foggy, purple backdropped wasteland with odd vegetation all about. Being the warriors they had the potential of becoming, they began to look around for signs of Bones.

"Man, what is this place?" The Red Ranger, Jason, asked, looking around. Then, he spotted an incoming object. "Look out!"

It was Bones himself, flying through and hitting the rangers. They all staggered about, pain shooting through them. The suits sparked with residual Morphing Energy as the suits charged themselves to protect their wearers.

The Morphers then pumped information into Red Ranger's mind. "Blade Blasters up!"

The team did as he said, instantly knowing what to do although they had little practice with the weapons. They instantly knew the Blade Blaster had two modes: one as a laser gun, and the other as a sort of dagger, or bladed stick. They then rushed ahead to battle Bones. In retaliation, Bones conjured up Undead Warriors to fight with him, sent down to help him by Finster himself.

As the rangers battled, Saba looked to Zordon. "Do you see them? Where did they go?"

Zordon nodded, eyes closed. "I can feel them. Sense them... So far, they are holding their own..."

Back in the new Time Warp, Squatt popped up out of a pumpkin, having teleported himself into the Time Warp to watch. He was impressed with what he was seeing.

Having planned things out with Baboo and secretly come down to show his worth to Rita (having not been much help in the creation of the Time Device itself), Squatt pulled out a small round implosion device from his carrying bag. "This oughta do it!"

Suddenly, Baboo poked his head out, having followed Squatt. "Whoa! This place is _weird_."

"Oh, boy!" Squatt said, realizing he'd been followed but continuing on regardless. He thought that maybe he could use Baboo as a testimony for what he had accomplished.

As the rangers continued to battle, Squatt found the Time Device, which Rita had teleported into the Time Warp after the rangers had been trapped. Squatt had seen an opportunity to trap the rangers in the Time Warp, what thing Rita hadn't thought of.

"Now to blow up the Time Device and trap them here."

Baboo stared at Squatt impatiently as Squatt rummaged through his bag. "Come on, Squat! Hurry up! You did bring the matches, didn't you? I told you not to forget them!"

"I didn't forget them!" Squatt protested and began complaining as Baboo took the bag from him.

Finding a match, Baboo lit it. "There!"

"Oh, boy! Now we're going to get- Oh! Yay!" Squatt declared as the fuse was lit.

The Pink Ranger, Kim, was the first to spot the fuse. "Jason, look!"

Noting that they saw Squatt, Bones stabbed the ground. He watched as his power split the ground asunder, creating a gap to stop the rangers from stopping the bomb from going off.

The Red Ranger didn't hesitate. He leapt up into the air and took Bones on, one on one. After a couple of parries of his Blade Blaster from Bones' sword attacks, Jason outmanuevered Bones and trapped his arm.

Holding him in place, the Red Ranger yelled, "Come on! Let's blast him!"

 _What if we hit him!?_ Blue Ranger thought as he went through the motions with the others. _I... I just have to trust him..._

Converting their Blade Blasters, the four rangers pointed their weapons and fired. Right at the last moment, Red Ranger let go and allowed the four beams of concentrated Morphing Energy to hit Bones. He rolled out of the way, celebrating with the others as they saw Bones fall apart. All the while, the fuse continued to travel to the bomb, giving Squatt, Baboo, and Bones enough time to try and escape.

Although they thought him to be gone, the rangers were shocked to see Bones pull himself back together.

Billy furrowed his brow behind his visor, thinking as quickly as possible. Then, it came to him from a combination of his own genius and the power of the Order of Meledon, flowing through him from Zordon.

"We need to destroy his head," Blue Ranger declared.

Leaping up just as Bones was reforming, Blue Ranger grabbed at and tucked in Bones' head, rolling away from the main body.

Wrapping the head in its own cape so that it couldn't direct itself, Blue Ranger screamed, "Trini, catch!"

Catching the head, Yellow Ranger pointed to the Skeleton minions rusing at them, the Undead Warriors helping Bones. "Look out!"

The other rangers watched incredulously as Trini sped ahead, suddenly filled with intense power and motivation. She stabbed at each Undead Warrior, causing them to pause enough to let her go on by. As she sped away, the other four rangers began fighting them to buy her time.

Kneeling on one knee by the very chasm Bones himself had created, Yellow Ranger looked down at the cape wrapped skull in her hands. She was ready to end this battle.

"So long, bonehead." She said, tossing his head into the fiery abyss.

Right as she did that, Bones fell to his knees. Within moments, he exploded. The Power Rangers had destroyed their first Monster.

In the Moon Palace, Rita was stricken with Rage. Red Energy danced all around her. She could not believe she had lost!

Then, her own form of "inspiration" hit her. It was the Ghost of Darkness, channeling his mind into hers.

 _In my home universe, there was once a great warrior..._ The Ghost of Darkness thought to himself. _With Rita's Magic, I can make him come to Life here and now!_

Feeling the thoughts begin to form (thinking they were her own), Rita snarled. "I'm not through yet! Moondust, soft and planet, send to Earth a _giant_!"

Immense amounts of power flowed through Rita. She could feel the raw power of the Ghost of Darkness emanating from her body, creating the Giant. As that happened, the Moon Palace itself landed on a building in Angel Grove.

"Zordon!" Nick Fury yelled, face suddenly appearing on the Viewing Globe.

"How did you-!?" Alpha 5 squeaked.

"I'm Nick Fury! I can do whatever I want! Now, Zordon!? What the heck is a giant armored thing doing in the city!? It's _downtown_!"

"Trust me, we can handle this," Zordon said calmly.

"You better! Or I'm sending in nukes on that thing right now, regardless of if your spandex wearing heroes are there or _not_!" Fury screamed.

"Understood," Zordon said as Fury vanished from the Viewing Globe.

Zordon then watched as the Giant reached into a building and seemingly into the Time Warp itself. It grabbed the Red Ranger and pulled it back into the realm of Time.

"How did it do that?" Saba asked.

"It's Rita... She has tapped some unknown power. I... Well, not only that, but she is on Earth. She is tapping Earth's Mystic Realm and amplifying her powers! We must force her Moon Palace off the planet!" Zordon yelled. "Alpha!? Begin seeing if you can find a way to divert energy to teleport Rita out of here!"

"But that would require-" Alpha 5 began.

"I know, I know!" Zordon interrupted. "Just do it!"

That's when it happened. As the Power Rangers were distracted with Red Ranger's abduction, the bomb went off. Luckily for them, the Giant had opened up a hole between the Time Warp (using Rita and the Ghost of Darkness' Magic) and the realm of Time itself. The bomb blasted the rangers out of the Time Warp. The residual explosion also teleported all of them luckily away from the city and out to the desert surrounding it.

"You idiots!" Rita screamed as the Time Magic from her Time Device hit her on the Moon Palace. "What have you done!?"

"We were trying to trap the rangers!" Squatt tried to explain.

"But now... Ahhh!" Rita screamed. "What's happening to me!?"

Finster waved a tech wand over her. "It seems your body has absorbed Negative Time Magic from the space shuttle. It is having adverse reactions with the spell you just cast to bring us to Earth and summon that unknown Giant."

"Get us out of here!" Rita screamed, shockwaves of Magic erupting from her. Within moments, she used the last of her strength to get the Moon Palace back to where it belonged: over the Caves of Deception.

As that occured, the Ghost of Darkness grew very angry. _No! Rita is_ _saturated_ _with that Negative Time Magic! I won't be able to use her again until it's out of her system! Drat! Well,_ _Rita_ _... The time is not too far off when you will once again be under my control!_

Meanwhile, Red Ranger had used his Blade Blaster to free himself from the clutches of the Giant. As he fell to the ground below, he thought quickly about what his next move should be. Hitting the ground, he sprinted up and ran to his team. He did so right as the Giant began stabbing at the ground with his sword.

"What _is_ that thing!?" Saba demanded.

"I don't know..." Zordon said. "My Scan is saying he's from... another Time!"

"Time travel!?" Saba gasped.

"Maybe... but he was summoned here by Rita," Zordon thought. "There must be a Time traveler helping Rita. Saba? Please contact the Guardian. We're going to need their help on this."

"Zordon," Red Ranger yelled. "We need Dinozord Power now!"

All of the zords were summoned at that point, teleporting to the destination they needed to be. The first to arrive was the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord.

Staring up in awe, as if it was the first time he had really taken in its beauty, Red Ranger smiled behind his helmet's face. "Alright... Now that's what I call _power_!"

Clenching his fist, Red Ranger prepared himself to leap to the zord. "Let's kick some _giant_."

Activating the console, Red Ranger declared, "Morphin'! Dinozord power _on_."

Red Ranger then looked down to the others. "Guys? Stand this one out. I gotta bone to pick with this guy."

"Right..." Black Ranger said, though he felt the same way as the others.

 _This isn't a one man show, Jason... We're a team!_ Yellow Ranger thought, confused. _I mean, we all pitched in, why are you doing this solo?_

The two titans grappled. They fought and tore at each other, hoping to be the one to topple the other. Then, Red Ranger commanded the zord to hit the Giant with his tail. That seemed to be what turned the tables on the battle, causing the Giant to stumble back. From there, the Dinozord began to beat on the Giant.

Looking down, Red Ranger smiled. "How am I doin', Zach?"

"Morphenomenal!" Black Ranger declared, trying to swallow his pride. "Yeah!"

"Time to chill this dude _out_!" Red Ranger declared, causing his zord to shoot massive amounts of Morphing Energy out of its mouth.

It billowed out of the ground, shooting forward straight at the Giant. The amount of current hitting the Giant was incredible, and the beast could no longer sustain itself. Slowly, the Time Magic keeping it together wore away, and it vanished back into inexistence.

Jumping out of his cockpit, Red Ranger thrust a fist into the air and yelled out, "Yeah!"

In the Moon Palace, Rita was still recovering from what had just happened to her. She had hoped to have some good news from the Giant, but that, too had been taken from her. She had lost once again.

Screaming in a fury, Rita kicked a globe she used to study the layout of the planet at Squatt and Baboo. "Oh, I've got such a headache! Somebody bring me an aspirin!"

 _Idiot..._ Goldar thought. _You had them, but you couldn't reign in your own men! If you had all been on the same page you would have_ _won_ _! This is why you will soon be defeated! And then it will be me and Zedd... and from there? Then I will learn from him... Become strong like him! And then I will become the greatest there ever was!_

. . .

Ernie had his orders. He was to go around, to start spreading word about the Power Rangers. Although media was pretty tight in the United States, General of the Army Rex had decided that he actually _wanted_ people knowing about the Power Rangers. Kaplan himself decided it would be a good test of the rangers themselves (at least, those they were nearly sure  were the rangers... or at least helping them). He would see if the fame and stardom would go to their heads or not.

"Yeah, I'm telling you, I heard it on the radio," Ernie said to one of the patrons of the Youth Center, just as he had been ordered to do. "Five superheroes saved the park from this Zombie guy. And they call themselves... the _Power Rangers_.

As the teens began to laugh, knowing they were being talked about, Billy decided to let them in on what he and Alpha 5 had done since the last battle as he heard the communicator go off. "Speaking of which... our communicators are fully functional again thanks to Zordon and Alpha."

"Cool." Kim said as Billy stood up, following him down the stairs to the acitivity area. "So, like, we can teleport and communicate to the Command Center with these things?"

"Affirmative," Billy said, full of pride.

 _Jack would love to see the look on your guys' faces!_ Billy thought. _We worked so hard on these!_

Kim smiled, nearly speechless. "This is _so_ nineties!"

"Oh, Trini, I really wanted to express my gratitude in helping me out today," Billy said.

As Billy spoke, Trini did not see Zach waltz into the room, wearing a sly look on his face.

Kim agreed. "Yeah, the way you climbed those rocks was morphenomenal."

Trini nodded. "I guess what they say is true. You really don't know what you can do until you're forced to do it. I hope I can be _that_ confident the next time."

Jason smiled as he saw what Zach was doing. The teen had brought with him a scary monster mask and had slipped it on. Sneaking up on Trini, he yelled and surprised her from behind.

Zach began laughing as Trini jumped, instinctively grabbing the rope nearby that Ernie had fixed for the Youth Center. Before anyone could blink more than twice, she was up the rope.

"Girl, looks like you've _definitely_ overcome your Fear of heights." Zach yelled up, pulling off the mask.

Trini looked down, half angry and half amused. She rolled her eyes and smiled, happy that she had such close friends around her. Ever since her brother had passed away a few years earlier, she had never thought that she could fit in. Now, as a Power Ranger, she knew she had people who would always be by her side.

. . .

"It's complete," September said, standing before Zordon in the Time Warp.

Zordon sighed a sigh of relief. "We're safe, then?"

"The Spirits of those in this universe are, yes," September said. "Time travel will not completely overwrite anything anymore. The Time Barriers will allow for those in this Timeline to continue to be, even if Time is altered. Of course, if one's ancestors are killed, that's an entirely different matter. But, we aren't looking at universal genocide anymore."

"Fantastic news," Saba said.

"Any word on Trinity?" Zordon asked next.

September looked down. "I'm sorry, Zordon. Not yet. But please don't lose Hope. I'm sure we'll find her."

Zordon suddenly had a blank look on his face. Saba knew him well enough to know that was the look he gave when he was trying to control his emotions. Due to September's innate nature to read people, he also knew what Zordon was doing. He also knew Zordon was in agony in his soul.

"Thank you, September," Zordon said plainly.

September nodded. He turned and then entered back into the portal, heading back to the Hall of Legends. As he did, Zordon turned and looked to his best friend.

"We got lucky today," Zordon said. "If we had needed to teleport Rita away, the Command Center would be shut down for at least three months, trying to restore power."

"And since the Power Morphers are linked to the Command Center, that would have been devastating," Saba added.

"Were we wrong in channeling the Morphing Grid directly into the Command Center?" Zordon asked. "I mean, yes I want to keep my eye over it and ensure nothing happens to it, but... are we really powerful enough to keep it safe for the whole universe?"

Saba sighed. "I don't have that answer, Zordon. And neither do you. We just do the best we can."

"I hope that best is enough," Zordon replied, sighing.

. . .

General McKnight looked to Dr. Harlen. "What do your scans indicate?"

"That device that flew down here, disguised as our own rocket? That _was_ our rocket. The aliens took it and modified it," Harlen reported.

Next to him stood Dr. Phenomenus. "Yes... and what's more? The device was manipulating _Time itself_! Fascinating!"

"No! Not 'fascinating'!" McKnight barked. "It's _dangerous_. What sort of power do these beings have!? We can't stand idly by! Harlen!? Get our think tank from Alphabet Soup over here to Angel Grove immediately. It's time we finished Global Strike. Time is not on our side, and the planet needs heroes we can actually trust. Heroes we can _control_."

. . .

Goldar stood outside the Moon Palace. Before him was a hologram of Lord Zedd himself. Goldar stood in awe of the massive semi-Demon.

"And that is your report?" Zedd asked.

"Yes, your evilness!" Goldar coughed out, his voice still sore and yet to recover from his battle against Master Mao ten thousand years earlier.

"Interesting... Rita may not be the force Dark Specter thought that she was," Lord Zedd said. "But, I will _wait_. I know that Dark Specter was thinking of sending in King Aradon if Rita does not succeed, but I don't want that machine thinking he can climb the ranks. The last thing I need is a _power_ struggle."

"Understood," Goldar said, not interested in the politics of the United Alliance of Evil.

"And how is Zordon?" Zedd asked. His Demonic nature was slowly distorting memories of his past. He couldn't quite remember why, but he knew he had some sort of rivalry with Zordon in the past.

"Non-existant. The Power Dweebs do all of his fighting for him!" Goldar reported.

"Fool..." Zedd said. "He is weaker than I thought! Dark Specter should not fear him! I guarantee you, Goldar, that if I myself were there, this war would have already been over!"

"Agreed, your evilness!" Goldar said.

"Now, quit your sniveling and get to work, grunt!" Zedd yelled, having honestly forgotten Goldar's name.

Goldar sighed as the hologram ended. _You'll see, Zedd! You and the whole universe will soon feel my wrath!_

Goldar then walked over a dune to a certain area. That area is where Goldar kept his _secret_. After the events of the previous day, he had been able to go before the Humans had gotten to the area and had salvaged the pieces of the Time Device Squatt and Baboo had destroyed. There, hidden in a crate on the Moon, were the pieces of the Time Device.

 _Soon, I will use this and alter Time!_ Goldar proclaimed in his mind. _I won't need to work for Lord Zedd after all! I will go back in Time and make myself to be the new Dark Specter! Soon, I will be a god!_


	3. Chapter Three: Teamwork

**Teamwork**

 _ **1993 AD - Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B**_

Zordon watched as the rangers teleported out of the Command Center, having just finished another team meeting. He was happy how it had turned out. He was trying to help them better understand the importance of teamwork, as requested by Saba. Saba had seemed to believe Jason was trying to be a one man show at times, not out of malicious intent, but more because he thought that's what he was supposed to do as leader of the team. Zordon had given some words to them on the subject, not necessarily outright stating that Jason could be more of a team player, but insinuating that they _all_ had room to grow.

Turning to Saba, Zordon smiled. "How did it go?"

"I still think you need to turn off that British accent," Saba replied, referring to the modulated voice Zordon thought would give him more respect from the Humans. "It sounds weird coming from you."

Zordon shrugged. "It seems to be working. They respect me."

"They respect you because you are an interdimensional Wizard who gave them powers to become superheroes!" Saba proclaimed, laughing as he did.

Zordon blushed, standing in the desert of their shared Time Warp. "I guess you're right... Well, anyway... About the meeting... I think I have an idea about how to help them with their teamwork."

"How?" Saba asked, intrigued.

"We need to really focus in on getting their Power Weapons finished immediately," Zordon stated.

"But we've been trying for weeks," Saba stated, sighing. "They were the weapons of the Dino Guardians. Just like the Shield of Triumph, five _Dino_ Spirits are needed to activate it. The Red Ranger's Power Sword will not be able to activate the Power Blaster due to the Mastodon and Sabertooth Tiger."

Zordon shook his head. "Why were those Coins made like that, anyway!?"

. . .

 _ **2050 AD - The Hall of Legends**_

As the footage continued of the past event, Sophie's voice was heard in the Hall of Legends. "Ever figure out why, Sam?"

The Future: Omega Ranger shook his head as he continued to index the event into the Power Ranger Archives. "Nope. It's one of those incidents we don't have record of. I've even gone back to some of the Zero Files and used my Third Eye Ability to see if I could find an answer. Nothing."

Sophie pursed her lips as she sat in her space shuttle orbiting the sequestered Earth, speaking into a device that allowed her contact with Sam. "When did you do _that_?"

Omega shrugged. "I think it was when you left to speak with Leslie. How has her investigation come along?"

"Stressful," Replied Sophie. "Time Force is refusing to speak with our dimension at all now. I told Leslie to confront them about what you saw on Earth with Rip Hunter and some of the particulars you have found out about secret groups like their Linear Men."

"And?" Omega asked anxiously.

Sophie couldn't help but smirk sarcastically while she scoffed. "That's when they ceased communicating with SPD."

Future: Omega Ranger rolled his eyes behind his helmet's visor. "Figures. Funny how right now Zordon is speaking about the importance of teamwork to Saba, and that is exactly the opposite of what Time Force is giving us. If we are to defeat the Supreme, or the Traveler, or whoever is behind this mess... We're gonna have to all work together."

"Amen to that," Sophie agreed.

Omega sighed. "Anyway, let's get back to indexing..."

Unpausing the footage, Omega watched as Saba continued to let his complaints be known...

. . .

 _ **1993 AD - Time Warp Universe M54331Z-B**_

"It's just not going to happen, Zordon."

Zordon shook his head. "It's not exactly like the Shield of Triumph. That's specifically created to only work with the Universal Dino Energy. The Power Weapons aren't. They just so happen to be _configured_ that way. I feel very strongly that is the direction we need to head."

"Let me guess... the Order of Meledon?" Saba asked.

Zordon nodded. "Yes, and you say that as if you are less than impressed with it."

"I don't know. It's just... How do you know you can trust it?" Saba inquired.

"Experience. It has never led me astray before. I trust it," Zordon stated.

"Ha! The Tribunal of Magic were the ones who activated it in you! The same trio who had the ability to pull us out of here ten thousand years ago. Heck, they were the ones responsible for us being diverted here instead of the Nothingness!" Saba vented.

Nodding again, Zordon said, "Yes, but it was all to help Dulcea have another chance at life."

"They could've spoken to us about it!" Saba insisted.

"We've been down that road a million times. I've come to terms with it." Zordon stated, turning around and looking at the sand where the schematics for the Power Weapons were drawn in. "I suggest you do the same."

"Hmph." Saba grunted, turning around and walking away.

As Saba did so, he found himself staring at the large dune. The same dune that he and Zordon had first spotted the blue warrior they knew not was Ninjor nearly one hundred years prior. Saba knew that just over that dune was the trial that led to getting a key to meet with the Tribunal of Magic.

 _The Order of Meledon comes from the Nathadian Universe... the same universe from which Zordon and I hale... the same origin point for Dulcea and the Tribunal of Magic. Nothing but bad things have ever been associated with that realm from our pasts! I don't know if I have as much faith in this otherworldly power as Zordon has. It seems to be pushing us in a direction that could end in Zordon's destruction! I... I can't let it do that. One more thing... just one more thing puts us in a precarious situation caused by that_ _Order_ _and I'm going straight to the Tribunal of Magic!_

. . .

Standing before the tables she had designed for awareness of the horrible situation she had seen becoming a problem, Trini was holding a clipboard to have a petition signed. "Stop the pollution of our neighborhood."

Kimberly pointed at a picture of a dump. "Sign a petition, shut the dumpsite down."

Trini continued. "We can hardly stand the smell. Let them know that you care."

As she had someone sign, Dr. Kaplan monitored the duo from afar. _Nice proactive behavior! Time for an experiment for General McKnight! Let's start with a measure of their conviction..._

Kim looked up just in time to see Kaplan approaching. "Oh, hi, Mr. Kaplan."

Kaplan stood before them, smiling a fake smile. "Now, this is wonderful, girls! It's dandy that you're trying to clean up the environment. But is the dumpsite as bad as you say?"

Trini sighed. "You should see the place, Mr. Kaplan. It's an industrial waste disaster."

Kimberly agreed, a look of disgust. "Who could stand to pollute like that?"

Kaplan furrowed his brow. "You two do know that it doesn't exist solely as a reservoir for waste, right? The reason we have the ability to live the lives that we do is because of the processes we have in this modern age. Sometimes we get waste build up, and we need to put the waste _somewhere_ , girls. I just don't know if this is the best use of your time."

Trini breathed in slowly, trying to focus her thoughts. "It's like the human body, Mr. Kaplan. Yes, it creates waste from metabolic processes, but the lymphatic system washes it out."

"And it needs to be _dumped_ somewhere, right?" Kaplan suggested, curious to see what Trini's response would be.

"You're right, Mr. Kaplan. But our bodies have found an efficient way to get rid of the waste and not have it festering inside of us," Trini stated. "Now I don't have all of the answers, but I think that if we let the waste just sit around in a plant that we are not being efficient in our disposal of that waste. I think this is the first step toward finding that solution."

Kaplan smiled, satisfied with that response. He waved goodbye to the girls and began to walk away.

 _Alright, then... Let's see how much they care if I give them_ _real_ _adversity._ Kaplan thought.

Walking into his office, Kaplan dialed Agent Richie Mendoza's phone number. "Agent Mendoza?"

"Speaking," Richie said.

"I need you to get Bulk and Skull riled up about Trini's dumpsite project. I want to analyze their commitment levels. If they are truly the 'Power Rangers' and not just their Earthly liaisons they are this nation's enemies. I need to find any weaknesses they may have," Kaplan explained.

Sitting in his van outside the Youth Center with his government issued phone, Richie nodded. "I think I'll speak to that math whiz that was just brought into Alphabet Soup. Her name is Monroe. She seems to have been brought into Bulk and Skull's little gang. If I can drop some hints about how stupid Trini's project is and how I wished there was someone 'cool' enough to shut them up, I think that'll be bait enough for them."

Kaplan nodded slowly. "I like the idea. The recommendation has been cleared by me. Go out, Agent Mendoza."

Richie nodded. "Will do, Dr. Kaplan."

As he hung up, Kaplan sighed. "Alright! Let's get to work!"

. . .

Kimberly was in the hallway still, helping Trini. "Sign a petition. Help clean up the dumpsite."

As she and Trini continued to advertise their campaign in between classes and during lunch, their fellow rangers approached them.

"We can live in a cleaner environment. Come on, save our Earth!" Trini proclaimed as Jason, Billy, and Zach arrived.

Zach looked around, impressed. "Hey, ladies, what's up?"

Kim beamed at them. "Hi, guys."

Jason smiled. "You're attracting a crowd."

Billy, not having been in the loop, asked, "You conducting a campaign?"

Trini nodded, showing them the paperwork she wished to deliver to whoever owned the property of the dumpsite. "We're delivering these petitions, today."

Zach nodded enthusiastically. "Cool."

Kim looked at them eagerly. "Yeah, you guys want to sign?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

Trini, seeing potential recruits to her cause, decided to give them an invitation. "Come with us, guys."

Jason, thinking quickly about what his responsibilities were, answered, "I'd love to, but I have a karate class that I have to teach later and, I mean, it's a great cause but I can't bug out on my students."

Kim and Trini were less than thrilled with their leader's answer. They were hoping that they would get the other two to join them, but were soon met with more bad news.

Billy shook his head. "I must also decline. I'm President of the Science Fair Committee and today's our first meeting."

Kim put on a kind smile for him, but Trini was still less than thrilled.

Zach was less than willing to help, since he didn't care too much for that kind of thing. He was happy when he remembered that he actually _did_ have a commitment after school. "Uh, I'd love to, ladies, but, Alpha he said he has something to talk to me about, right away. I promised to meet him, sorry!"

"It's okay. Kimberly and I will go alone _but_ , it would be a lot more impressive if we acted like a team," Trini stated, hoping to guilt someone to help her at the last moment.

Jason smiled, catching onto what Trini was doing. He was glad he had a solid excuse. "Sorry, girls."

Trini decided to give up the fight. "Well, thanks for signing the petitions, you guys."

Kim, still being exceptionally spunky, smiled. "Yeah, thanks!"'

The male trio left on their separate ways, wishing good luck to the girls. As they did, Bulk (who had been watching with Skull and Monroe from afar) decided it was finally safe to attack. Richie's plan was going as scheduled: Monroe wanted to impress Richie since he said he thought anyone who could take on the Varsity Cheerleading captain was attractive, so she told Bulk hoping to get him to be her muscle. All the while Kaplan watched via camera footage in his office.

Belching loudly, Bulk called out to Trini. "Hey, Miss Earth. Recycle _that_."

Kim looked at Bulk disgusted as he crunched an aluminum can and tossed it on the ground. "Get a life, Bulk."

Skull, deciding to help Bulk while squashing a can of his own, looked at Kim. "Hey! Why don't you take this to the dump with you?"

Bulk and Monroe laughed as Skull tossed a can to them. It hit the poster boards. Trini was trying _very_ hard not to lose her cool as that happened. Meanwhile, Kaplan could tell via the monitors in place around the school that Trini's hormone levels were elevating.

 _Interesting..._ Kaplan thought. _Let's see how long until she loses her composure..._

At that, a kind student randomly passed by to pick up Bulk's can, tossing it into the nearby recycling can.

Bulk yelled at the kid when he saw that. "Hey! Geek!"

As Skull grabbed the teen, he yelled out: "Come on, man, let me go!"

Bulk, infuriated, picked up the recycling can and dumped it all out over the kid. He and his buddies laughed all the while before pushing the kid off on his way.

Kaplan smiled as he saw another spike in Trini's hormone levels. _Bingo..._

Trini, blood boiling, yelled at the antagonistic trio. "Okay, that does it! You're _way_ out of line!"

"Oh..." Bulk said, liking the challenge he was receiving (or at least the challenge he _perceived_ that he was receiving). He then tossed the recycling bin at Trini and Kim, watching it roll toward them.

Kim saw the trash can rolling toward her. Instead of simply stepping over it, she decided to go a _different_ route. Kim breathed out and performed a flip over the trash can. She figured in her sixteen year old mind that she could intimidate the bullies if she showed them her great abilities.

Skull saw the move and walked over to her, smiling. "Guess you finally _flipped_ over me."

"Come on! Let's get her!" Bulk yelled out to Skull.

As the two boneheads rushed at her, Kim performed a backflip. Unable to respond quick enough, the two bullies found themselves hugging each other instead of grabbing at Kimberly. They screamed in disgust, each of their first thoughts being that if they were seen hugging that their masculinity would be in question. They pushed each other away, by happenstance each landing in a blue plastic recycling can themselves.

"Well, it looks like it's time to take out the trash!" Kim stated, laughing as she and Trini hovered over Bulk.

Trini nodded. "And deliver these petitions."

"Bye," Kim sang mockingly as Monroe walked over to help Bulk get out of his predicament.

As Monroe did so, Kaplan pursed his lips. _Had Kimberly not interfered then I would've seen a side to Trini I never thought I would had! Hmm..._

Turning on a tape recorder, Kaplan stated, "Alphabet Soup log on Trini Kwan. It seems that if pushed enough, she is willing to compromise her standards. Note: Create an experiment that will test her resolve in the near future."

. . .

It didn't take long for the two teens to make their way to an abandoned plant. As they did, they knew not that they were being monitored by not only Dr. Kaplan from a surveillance truck down the street, but also by Rita Repulsa up in the Moon Palace. She watched them from her telescope on her balcony, musing.

"Oh, this is sweet! Kimberly and Trini are about to walk into my waste dump. Oh, it's perfect! Those girls don't stand a chance!"

Baboo thought about that for a moment. He knew that Rita had been secretly pumping Blue Magic into the plant, hoping to prepare it for a time when she would be able to create a portal directly from the Moon down to Earth. She had created another portal at one point, long ago, that connected Earth to Mirinoi. Although Zordon had upped Earth's defenses (with help from tech given to him by Doc, the only living Gaia Ranger and head of technology for Triforia), Rita had been able to find that if she slowly sent her Magic down to Earth that she could create one of her portals undetected. She had chosen that plant due to its strategic closeness to the warehouses in the Abandoned Warehouse District, where Zordon was storing all of the ancient artifacts he had acquired over the years for his research and contingency plans.

Taking all of that into account, Baboo wondered why Rita stated that it was "perfect". "If those girls find out it's your plant won't that ruin your plan?"

Uncontrollable Rage (caused by Lord Zedd's influence on her, emanating from her wand) filled Rita. She had impulsively thought that merely having the girls there would allow her to target them, missing the mark of how they could blow her plan wide open. The Rage in her mind did not allow her to even come up with a logical response to Baboo's observation.

Due to all of that Rage, the only thing Rita could think to say was an insult. "Nincompoop!"

Baboo was deeply offended. "You don't have to get personal..."

Goldar, not wanting to outright show Rita's failure to execute but still wanting to get something done, decided to say, "We'll ambush them with Putties, and then finish them with a Monster."

"Right! We can't lose this one!" Rita declared, calming slightly knowing that a plan was in place. "Prepare the Putties, they've got work to do."

It took little to no effort for Finster. Within moments, a squadron of Putty Patrollers were created and ready to wreak havoc. Before long they were sent down via Rita's Magic to Earth. The two unsuspecting teens, Kimberly and Trini, found themselves surrounded with villains as they arrived.

Hearing the Putties descend while they were amidst the trash, Kim yelled, "We've got company!"

As the teens began to fight, trying to abide by one of Zordon's requests he had given them in a team meeting the previous week to only morph when absolutely necessary (they knew not it was because of their connection to the Order of Meledon. He had thought that it would've been too complicated for them to understand), they found themselves having a hard time taking the villains down. Rita watched on through her telescope, pleased with how things were working out.

"Good, they're fighting. Now, all we have to do is send a Monster!" Rita declared.

"I'm on it, your evilness!" Finster said as he continued to work in his lab on the Monster.

 _This should be interesting!_ Goldar thought. _So far this plan is a mess! Rita keeps forgetting whether or not the plan is about her portal or about pollution! There's no way she can continue leading this attack against Zordon! Soon Dark Specter will see that and banish her again. Then I, the mighty Goldar, will be his newest general!_

. . .

Zordon watched from his tube as Alpha 5 tried to show Zach how he had been learning how to dance. Zordon thought it amusing how Alpha 5 was getting attached to the new team, wanting badly to assimilate himself with them and their "cool style". As Zach tried (with little success) to help Alpha 5 with his moves, the Monster Alarm began to blare. Focusing on his Nathadian Magic and quickly scanning the Command Center's surveillance of Angel Grove, Zordon saw what the problem was.

"Zachary, Alpha. The girls are in trouble. The Putties have them outnumbered at the waste dump."

"Oh, no!" Saba gasped. "That's near the warehouses with the research relics!"

Alpha 5 was nearly short circuiting with emotion, worried about the girls. "Oh, no! Dudettes in trouble, dudettes in trouble! Ay-yi-yi-yi yi-yi! What are we going to do, Zordon?"

Zach watched the girls struggling via the Viewing Globe. His blood was boiling with anger. Zordon could sense Red Energy permeating from him. He hoped Zach's impulsive anger wouldn't interfere with his ranger duties, but he could understand where Zach's frustration was coming from. Zordon remembered how he felt whenever Dulcea, Trinity, or Tria would be in a jam and he felt the need to run to their aid. For a moment, he remembered Orion's final breath after having been stabbed from behind by Deviot, but he quickly banished the thought from his mind.

Composing himself, Zordon ordered: "Bring the rest of the team to help. Jason, Billy, teleport here immediately. It's urgent!"

Jason, having just finished his class with his students, looked around and nodded unconsciously. He looked around and, when he saw no one else around the area he was in, teleported by pushing the buttons on his communicator. Billy had been in the middle of a committee meeting, but after having heard the beep from his communicator he had been able to excuse himself and rush to the bathroom, teleporting as well. The two arrived in the Command Center simultaneously.

"What's up?" Jason asked, worried.

Zordon decided not to mince words. "Kimberly and Trini are in trouble."

"Hey, fellas take a look." Zach said, ushering the two to the Viewing Globe. "We got to help them."

"It is good to see such camaraderie." Saba said to Zordon, staring up at the hologram of the inside of the Command Center intently.

Nodding, Zordon continued speaking to the three teens. "There's no time to lose. Get to the dumpsite immediately and- Wait! Rita has sent down a Monster. You'd better deal with him first. I'll monitor the girls from here."

Turning again, the trio saw what Zordon had felt appear on the Viewing Globe. Billy was the first to recognize the hairy, bovine headed creation.

"It's the most menacing Minotaur!"

Jason simply looked to his teammates at that and said, "It's morphin' time."

"Triceratops!"

"Mastodon!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

Zordon focused, simultaneously trying to monitor both subsets of the Power Ranger team. He could feel that while Trini and Kimberly's energy levels were exhausting, the boys were seeming to thrive on the battle with the mace wielding Minotaur. The number one thing on Zordon's mind was how grateful he was that Kim and Trini were keeping strong and not morphing, just as he asked them not to.

As the Minotaur deflected an attack by the Blue and Black Rangers, the Red Ranger stepped forward. "This guy is tough! I'll get him with my Blade Blaster!"

Red Ranger converted his Ranger Stick into its blaster mode, shooting at the Minotaur. The trio were shocked when the blast bounced off the Minotaur, the ricocheted shots going back to hit them. They yelled as they tried not to get hit by debris.

As Zordon continued to watch on, his thoughts were thrown off track as he heard something. He looked at the Command Center and realized the sound was cries of anxiety coming from Alpha 5.

"Oh, what's the problem _now_!?" Saba insisted, irritated.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi! More trouble on the way, Zordon!"

Zordon looked at the Viewing Globe. It appeared as if in the middle of the confusion between the two different battles, Goldar was _also_ sent down. He was fighting near the warehouses in the Abandoned Warehouse District, battling and conquering SHIELD agents.

Zordon frowned, starting to feel helpless with so much going on in such a short time frame. "This is a dangerous turn of events, Alpha. Contact the girls. Tell them to morph and try to hook up with the others. Working together as a team is their only hope now."

Saba nodded. "Rita is trying to divide and conquer. We cannot let her dictate the rules of this battle! We must play based on our own strategy!"

"Kimberly! Trini! Morph immediately!" Alpha 5 declared via their communicators. "The boys are in trouble and need your help!"

"Right..." Trini stated. "It's morphin' ti-"

"Whoa, whoa," Kimberly said. "Isn't that Jason's line?"

"Are we not supposed to say it?" Trini asked, confused.

"Well..." Kim replied. "When we were practicing the other day, Billy went to say it and Jason cut him off. I... I think that it may be a leader thing. I guess we have to trust Jason on that... maybe?"

Trini groaned. "Whatever..."

Pulling out her morpher, Kimberly yelled, "Pterodactyl!"

Doing the same, Trini declared, "Sabertoothed Tiger!"

The Pink and Yellow Rangers arrived at the quarry where the boys were fighting the Minotaur. As they did, Rita frowned from up on the Moon Palace.

"Goldar!? Stop playing with those Humans!" She demanded, projecting her voice to him via Magic. "The Minotaur is close to defeating them! Don't let the other two interfere!"

Goldar kicked a SHIELD agent away from him as he heard Rita's order. "What!? But I'm defeating these Humans! I'm close to getting to the powerful objects we are feeling they are protecting!"

"Nooooow!" Rita screamed, shooting a beam of Red Energy at Goldar, mixed with Blue Magic.

While he was scathed by the Red Energy, he felt himself teleported suddenly before the Pink and Yellow Rangers.

 _No! That fool Rita is ruining everything! What is she doing!?_ Goldar thought, infuriated.

Not wanting to get zapped again, though, Goldar did as he was told. He led a squadron of Putties, hoping to decimate the two female rangers so he could get back to the warehouses holding Zordon's powerful artifacts. He had one thing in mind: the remnants of the Time Device he had collected after Rita's last failed attempt to destroy the Power Rangers. He was hoping he could find something in those warehouses that could help him power the Time Device again. He was certain that if he could, he would be able to rewrite Time in a way to make him a god.

As Goldar was leading a rather successful attack, with the Minotaur making life difficult for the other three rangers, Alpha 5 continued his sobs. "Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi! The Power Rangers still have their hands full!"

Zordon bowed his head. "Yes... This is the toughest situation they have faced yet. Perhaps the time has come for me to reveal to them the ancient secrets of the power weapons."

"No, Zordon!" Saba gasped. "They're still not fully linked to their Power Coins!"

"Sometimes we need to take a leap forward," Zordon said. "I don't think I was ready when the Tribunal of Magic made me the Meledon Ranger, but we see how that turned out... If that hadn't happened you and I both know what would've happened between the forces of evil and us..."

"Maybe you're right, Zordon..." Saba stated.

"Maybe I am. Well, I _hope_ I am. Really... otherwise? The Power Rangers are done for and we'll need to pull resources from other sectors to defend the relics in the Abandoned Warehouses." Zordon stated, fists clenched as he watched the Pink Ranger rushing to the three male rangers who were fighting the Minotaur while Yellow Ranger battled Goldar solo. "And if we do that, _those_ sectors will be at risk... It's all too much. We _need_ this plan to succeed!"

Before Zordon could speak to the rangers, he saw the worst thing that could've happen, happen: Rita made the Minotaur grow. Zordon wanted to tell the teens what to do, but he decided to take a step back. He wanted to see what they would do without his interference.

The Red Ranger stared up, backing up with the other two male rangers. He had frozen in his tracks momentarily before putting his communicator up to his face and saying, "Kimberly! Trini! We've got our hands full over here! Call up your Zords and help us put this dude _down_!"

Yellow Ranger, speaking via communicator as well, said, "Right! We're on our way! While wer're at it,we'll take care of Goldar and the Putties, too."

"Tyrannosaurus Dinozord Power!" Cried out the Red Ranger.

"Mastodon Dinozord Power! Let's get them!" Yelled the Black Ranger.

"Triceratops!" Blue Ranger ordered, calling out for his zord.

"Sabertoothed Tiger Power!" Called out the Yellow Ranger.

"Pterodactyl! Let's do this!" Pink Ranger cried out as she performed a jump kick, sending an advancing Goldar staggering back.

The zords were then teleported to the area outside Angel Grove, on the outskirts of the Abandoned Warehouse District where the fight was occurring. The rangers saw them appear, rushing at the Monster. They focused and jumped up into the air, landing atop their zords. They then each individually jumped down the open hatch, leading to the zords' cockpits. As the security system scanned each of them for their Power Coins for entrance, their minds were synced to Zordon's mental interface technology.

"Zach here, moving and a-grooving!"

"This is Billy, outstanding!"

"Trini, ready to rock!"

"Let's munch this Minotaur!"

"Battle sequence engage!" Red Ranger declared.

Goldar saw what was happening and instantly realized something: Rita had caused the Monster to grow to give Goldar an easier access to the Abandoned Warehouses. From where he was, he would have a much easier way to them, seeing as their were no SHIELD agents in that area. Focusing, he commanded his Putties to follow him toward their goal... _his_ secret goal to ultimate power!

 _Rita's not as inept as I thought!_ Goldar thought to himself in shock.

Seeing what Goldar was doing, Pink Ranger turned her attention from the Minotaur down to Goldar and his crew. The Pterodactyl Zord began shooting beams of Morphing Energy down at the group, stopping them from going forward. Goldar looked up in a rage as the Putties were defeated around him. Knowing he was beaten, he teleported back up to the Moon Palace.

Zordon watched as each zord did what they could to bring Minotaur down, not escalating the battle just as they had been instructed. Sabertoothed Tiger pounced on him, Mastodon blasted it with cold vapor, and Triceratops shot its horns out at Minotaur. Although a good effort, with the horns chained back to the main zord body giving Triceratops the ability to pull Minotaur back, it still wasn't enough. Minotaur was able to pull out of the attack and right himself.

"Billy quite certainly has been the leader in this endeavor," Saba stated to Zordon. "Are you _sure_ Jason is the right choice to lead this team?"

Zordon hesitated. "... Yes. Billy is still too physically awkward. Besides, Jason is perfectly fine to lead."

"He has been too indecisive!" Saba protested. "He took too long to summon the zords, watching it tower over him! Billy has been leading this ever since they entered their zords!"

Zordon frowned. "I have a feeling about Jason. Just... let's watch, shall we?"

Saba pursed his lips. He wasn't pleased with Zordon's decision, but it appeared as if Jason would get a chance to prove himself. Minotaur leapt up and slammed into the T-Rex Zord, causing it to fall and roll on the ground. Pushing itself back up, Red Ranger realized they were unable to do this separately. What they needed was _teamwork_.

"Power Rangers, bring them together!" Red Ranger ordered. "Bring the Megazord to full power!"

Alpha 5 watched as the Minotaur was unfazed by the Tank Mode's attacks. "Zordon, he keeps coming no matter what they do! The zords have no effect on him! At this rate, they don't stand a chance!"

"You're right, Alpha." Zordon said, shaking his head. "Power Rangers!? Return to the Command Center for new instructions."

As the rangers teleported out of the Megazord, Rita began proclaiming victory up in the Moon Palace. "They're running away! Now, the world will be ours for the taking!"

Goldar was shocked. _Zordon... running away!? Is Rita actually going to_ _win_ _!?_

Meanwhile, the rangers landed back in the Command Center.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Demanded Pink Ranger.

As the others began to protest as well, Zordon said, "Your questions will be answered in due time. Your Zords have been returned to their hiding places and I will now reveal to you new powers and weapons."

While Zordon began to describe the weapons, Saba was shocked that he was giving them the Power Weapons when the Minotaur was a giant. That's when Saba saw something on a little window on the image of the Command Center: SHIELD fighter jets swooping down and battling the massive giant. Apparently Zordon had messaged them and told them to fight the Minotaur off momentarily as he regrouped his team. Saba noted one message at the bottom of the screen. It was from Nick Fury. It read:

"Get your team in gear, Zordon! I only have so much patience! Don't make me regret trusting you!"

All the while Zordon was saying, "Behold! Billy, this is your Power Lance, a weapon of great power and range. Kimberly, behold your Power Bow, accurate and strong. Jason, this is your Power Sword, key to all the weapons powers. Zachary, behold the Power Axe, lightning quick and hard as diamond. Trini, your Power Daggers are feather light and true as arrows. Together you will be unstoppable."

"That Minotaur is history!" The Red Ranger declared proudly as Alpha 5 teleported them away.

As they traveled away as masses of Morphing Energy, Red Ranger said to his team, "Here's the plan... We corner the Minotaur and give him a taste of our weapons. If that doesn't work, we'll bring them together and give him a blast of our mega power. You with me?"

As they answered in the affirmative, something interesting happened back on the battlefield. Zordon focused all he had and shot a blast of Green Magic at the Minotaur from the Time Warp. It was a Mini spell, forcing the Monster back to normal size. As that happened, Zordon fell onto his back, weakened.

"Zordon!? What have you done!?" Saba yelled.

"I... I needed the rangers to... to use their new weapons..." Zordon stated. "I was... influenced by the Order of Meledon to do so... I felt that it is extremely important for them to do that now."

"Why couldn't they had just used the Megazord!?" Saba insisted.

"I don't... ungh... know..." Zordon stated truthfully. "I must have faith in the Order of Meledon, though..."

"But it almost destroyed you!" Saba screamed.

"Faith, my friend," Zordon said. "These powers haven't failed me yet..."

Saba frowned as he watched the SHIELD jets fly off on the scene of the battle. _I don't like this... How is letting the Order of Meledon do this to us any different than the Guardian manipulating us in his plans!? I can't just stay here and let this happen... Zordon is too important to me for that!_

As he thought that, the rangers landed. They saw the Minotaur rushing toward them. Each of them readied their Power Weapons as he made his way to them. Morphing Energy danced off their weapons as they brandished them.

"All right, Minotaur, you're going down!" Red Ranger screamed.

"You got that right! You're yesterday's news!" Black Ranger declared.

"Face it, Minotaur, you're _finished_!" The Blue Ranger stated confidently

"Why don't you go back where you came from? Before you get hurt!" Yellow Ranger suggested, ready to decimated the fiend.

"Yeah! And the same goes for Rita!" Pink Ranger said, pointing her bow in the Minotaur's direction.

"Hyah! Power Rangers!"

Weakened, though still watching, Zordon could feel the Order of Meledon flowing through him. It was prompting him that it was time to finish Minotaur and that he had done what he was supposed to. It was past the time of a battle being escalated: the time had come for the next level of combat.

Zordon was suddenly channeling his mind into Red Ranger's Power Sword. "The time is right to bring these weapons together. Your team must act together as one!"

"Alright guys, let's do it!" Red Ranger declared.

"Power Axe!" Black Ranger yelled, being prompted to throw his weapon into the air.

"Power Bow!" The Pink Ranger announced, tossing hers up as well.

The Yellow Ranger was surprised to see the two weapons become one in the air. She then threw her own up in the air while yelling, "Power Daggers!"

"Power Lance!" Stated the Blue Ranger, seeing what was going on.

"Power Sword!" The Red Ranger said, jumping up and nimbly placing the Power Sword atop the other combined weapons. He could feel the Power Sword unlock the full power of the combined arsenal.

"Power Rangers! Fire!"

A mighty beam of Morphing Energy erupted from the combined weapons. The beam hit Minotaur and destroyed it upon contact. Once again, the Power Rangers were triumphant.

. . .

"Gee, things sure work out a lot better when we work as a team, huh?" Trini stated as they walked down the halls of their school. She was hoping to segue that comment into a comment about joining her on her crusade to end the pollution in the Abandoned Warehouse District.

Billy noticed that and decided to say something before she could about it. "Maybe with a little teamwork, we'll get the dump site closed down yet!"

As they got to the mess Bulk, Skull, and... had left behind, Dr. Kaplan turned a corner. Jason saw the look of horror on Kaplan's face. He knew not that Kaplan had been waiting for them, planning on pinning the "crime" on them. Jason fell for the trap, reading the look on Kaplan's face as meaning that Kaplan thought they had done it.

"Uh-oh," Jason uttered.

"Look at this place! Why hasn't it been cleaned up yet!?" Kaplan demanded, putting on his best acting performance. "You, there. I want to talk to you."

As Trini began to panic, a voice was heard over the P.A. system. It was Ms. Applebee. "Mr. Kaplan, Mrs. Quagmire wants you."

"One moment." Kaplan said, turning around to leave. That was when the real experiment would begin. He was curious to see if the teens would morph right then and there to get the job done. Then he would have inconclusive evidence that they were the rangers. Evidence that McKnight wanted and they had been yet to be able to get.

"Why don't we show a little teamwork and get this place cleaned up?" Jason suggested.

Fast clean up.

"Nice work, team."

"What happened to the mess?" Kaplan asked, acting but disappointed that he didn't get what he had wanted.

"Mess, what mess?" Jason asked, a smug look on his face.

"Oh!" Kaplan grunted, walking away.

As that happened, Zordon's voice emanated from the communicators. "Congratulations, Power Team, you've done well. Please excuse the static on your communicators. Alpha has been so busy practicing his dance steps that he keeps short-circuiting the control console."

"Hee-hee, and that's kicking!" Alpha 5's voice was heard saying over the communicator. "Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!"

"Alpha, man! Hey, forget about the hip-hop, man. Keep being a robot and keep that control console working."

As he said that, the rangers began laughing. Zordon couldn't help but smile as well.

Saba, meanwhile, shook his head. He wasn't in the mood for fun and games. He was too preoccupied with one thing: he needed to find a way to control the powers of the Order of Meledon before they destroyed Zordon. And he knew that he would find a way... no matter _what_.

. . .

General McKnight sat in Kaplan's school office. Before him were Kaplan and Applebee. "As of yet we do not know if those five teens are the Power Rangers, or just associates. GA Rex is concerned about how close Zordon seems to have infiltrated Alphabet Soup, but... it also seems as if Zordon either doesn't know about it, or doesn't care. We must keep it that way. We will continue with Alphabet Soup as planned. Continue to have Ernie monitor them closely at the Juice Bar."

"Yes, sir," Kaplan said, acknowledging the order.

"We are currently trying to assemble our own ranger team. Dr. Harlen is busy at work with that. I believe the mentor for that team will be Captain Bill Mitchell, but the final decision on that has yet to be made. This team, Global Strike, will have ties to Alphabet Soup. That's where you two will come in.

"You see, we have taken some of our think tank and we are moving them to an even more secure facility. There they will help us create the arsenal for Global Strike and finish their 'morphers'. Kaplan? I will need your help with that branch of Alphabet Soup from time to time.

"Applebee? I need you to continue ensuring mention of the Power Rangers stays here in the state of California. Even the Men in Black are not foolproof measures to ensure government information stays contained to the state it is supposed to be in. Use any measures you need to ensure the outside world does not hear of what is going on here. We don't need widespread panic over an alien invasion."

"Yes, sir," Applebee stated.

McKnight stood up at that. He bid them farewell and left the building of Angel Grove High. He climbed into the van waiting out back for him, driven by Richie. They drove off in silence, toward the new Alphabet Soup facility. Arriving in its parking lot, the two of them walked out of the car and into the building. As they did, they saw Harlen ushering the two newest recruits into the think tank to finish Global Strike: the Magical illustrator Mora (still carrying her favorite doll, Susie Sunshine), and super genius Rose Ortiz.

"Are my parents here?" Rose asked Dr. Harlen.

"Not yet, my dear," Harlen answered. "But don't worry! As soon as you two finish coming up with the schematics we asked you for, I know they'll arrive."

"This is _stupid,_ " Mora was heard saying as the two were rushed into a room.

"It's not stupid! It's _teamwork_! Harlen was heard saying as the door began to close behind him. "You scratch the government's back, and you get your back scratched."

McKnight looked to Richie. "Who knows? Maybe you'll be the Red Ranger for Global Strike."

Richie was shocked. "What? I thought that... what was his name? Tommy Oliver? I thought that _he_ was to be the Red Ranger."

McKnight smiled. "There's more than test scores that are involved. You're loyal to us, Richie. Just keep up the good work. Like Harlen said to those two brats: it's about teamwork. You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours."

Richie found himself smiling as well as McKnight turned and walked away. _Me? The government's red ranger!? Wow... Yeah... Yeah, I could do it! I'll be the one to lead Earth's_ _true_ _champions. Richie Mendoza, Red Ranger... I like the sound of that!_


	4. Chapter Four: A Pressing Engagement

**Chapter Four: A Pressing Engagement**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B**_

Billy sat in his garage, looking at his Power Morpher. He couldn't believe the whirlwind of events that had happened up until that point. He couldn't believe that _he_ was a superhero.

"You would not believe how precarious things have been, Jack," Billy said to his mouse in the cage next to him. "Zordon discovered that someone was attempting to monitor our fight the other day when the girls were ambushed by Goldar and that Alpha 5 had to block the person's monitoring. They could had seen that we were the Power Rangers!

"Zordon has decided to place protective barriers around our houses, not only to stop Rita from ever attacking us or our families but to also stop anyone from bugging our homes..." Billy said, a sad look coming over his face. "It's perplexing... Even though I feel powerful as a ranger, sometimes I feel really down. There's just so much responsibility and... well, I don't feel like I'm up to snuff, Jack. I'm no karate expert, I'm not physically gifted at all, really. Sometimes I question why I was even called to be a ranger to begin with! Jack... I hope I can become the ranger Zordon wanted me to become. Trini even said she'd help me with my coordination by having me enroll in her dance class today."

Sighing, Billy reached into the cage and patted Jack on the head. "Well, I should get ready for that. Wish me luck!"

. . .

Dr. Kaplan stared at Ernie. "This is going to be very important, Ernie."

"Oh, definitely!" Ernie said to him as they sat in the back of the Juice Bar. "Jason's gonna _crush_ Bulk's bench press record! But really, I have no idea how Jason is able to bench press _anything_ over a thousand times!"

"It's due to his enhanced abilities," Kaplan explained. "He has an extreme connection between his brain and his muscular motor units. And that's why I need you today."

Ernie sighed. "Okay... What is it?"

"I think that Jason has the potential of being much stronger than even _he_ knows. He will fill the measure of what is expected of him, but if we tell him to bench press _multiples_ of a thousand, psychologically he will break down and not even try it. I need you to get him close to the record and then _lose count_ , forcing him to start over," Kaplan explained.

Ernie was shocked. "What!? That's horrible! First, he could get injured. Second, that's just _cruel_. Third? He's not gonna believe me!"

"Jason is very trusting and forgiving. Even with the amount of punishment his body will endure during this trial, I highly doubt that he'll retaliate. And as for your other complaints? This is an assignment and you are an agent. You should be used to doing things you don't agree with. Now be a patriot. And make sure to sell it," Kaplan told Ernie.

Sneering, Ernie stood up. "Sir, yes _sir_."

It didn't take long for Ernie to get all situated. He sat at the bench as Jason walked into the room. He wore a look of determination on his face. He had been preparing for that moment all week. It was time for him to prove to himself that he was the strongest kid in the school.

Ever since he had met Bulk, he had wondered whether or not he was actually stronger. Bulk's "pudgy" exterior was very deceiving. Under the layers of adipose tissue were finely tuned muscles. On top of having a good amount of musculature, Bulk had the same unique ability that Jason did: he had an abnormal neural connection to his body's motor neurons. He had seen some impressive feats done by Bulk, some of them things which Jason had never thought to do. Somewhere deep in Jason's mind he wondered if Bulk truly was stronger than him, which subconsciously fueled Jason's need to assert superiority on Bulk whenever the fool came around, oppressing those around him.

 _Today is the day I find out once and for all..._ Jason thought.

As Jason approached Ernie, he couldn't help but smile at Ernie's attire. "What's with the get up, Ernie? Why are you wearing a checkered bib?"

Ernie plastered a smile onto his face as he grabbed the sandwich that had been sitting on the bench. It was very, very long. "If you're gonna beat that record, we may be here for a while! I need _something_ to keep myself occupied!"

It was a long and grueling process. Ernie felt pained with each and every movement past one hundred reps. He could see the strain and determination in Jason's face. He knew that Jason was wanting badly to prove himself. With each strain Ernie was ashamed of himself, for he knew that it was all just to show to Kaplan how much the teen could endure.

 _I got this... I got this!_ Jason yelled mentally to himself after nearly an hour of bench pressing.

"Amazing! His body isn't even _close_ to be fatigued!" Kaplan cried out. "Now... I need you to see if you can knock his concentration. Tell him you lost track."

Feeling awful but playing it straight, Ernie inched closer to Jason so that only he could hear (as a rather large crowd had gathered around Jason's workout area). "That's it, nice and steady. Uh, by the way... what number are we on?"

Grunting as he pushed up the bar, Jason tried not to feel deflated. "Nine ninety five..."

Smiling, glad that Jason didn't need to yet start over, Ernie sat back and took a bite off his sandwich. As he did, Kimberly made her way over and smiled.

"So what number is he on?" Kim asked, looking at Ernie as he mumbled something while chewing. "Once more, please, without the sub?"

"One thousand and three!" Ernie proclaimed.

"Yes, Jason, you're going to do it!" Kimberly proclaimed happily.

"Come on! One thousand and four!" Ernie stated, hoping Kaplan would change his mind.

"I'm so nervous! He's going to break the record!" Kimberly said, bubbling over with pride.

"And Angel Grove High is going to have a new winner!" Ernie said happily as Jason hit one thousand and seven reps.

"What number am I on?" Jason asked, confused due to the various conversations going on around him.

"Tell him you forgot," Kaplan said coldly.

Ernie's heart sank to his stomach. He couldn't believe that he was actually going to do such a horrible thing to such a good kid.

"Thousand... uh... Uh-oh, I've lost count." Ernie said, putting on his best goober face that he could. "Can you start again?"

Jason let the weight drop down onto his chest. "Seriously?"

"Oh, c'mon, Ernie! Just keep going with the last one you remember!" Kimberly protested.

Ernie shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that! The man counting needs to be employed by this facility and needs to have everything be continuous."

"It's okay, it's okay..." Jason said, pushing the bar off of his chest and racking it. "I don't want anyone later saying that I got the record because of the circumstances. Um... give me a half hour to gather myself again, kay?"

Ernie was already shocked at Jason's feat, but to think that he could do that _again_ , recuperated in a matter of thirty minutes astounded him. _How is that possible!? He's a super human_ _without_ _any Power Ranger powers! If he actually_ _is_ _one of the rangers..._

It happened just as before. Thirty minutes had come and gone and there was Jason again, doing his thing. Fifty minutes later he had made it past one thousand repetitions. Ernie could see veins bulging in the youth's forehead, but he kept going. He was certain that this time would be it.

"One thousand and nine! One more Jason, you can do it buddy!" Ernie cried out as people stared on in awe.

"Ernie? I'm going to allow it to happen," Kaplan said. "The stress on his body is immense."

Ernie was thrilled. He could see how hard Jason had been working and knew he deserved it. Doing two thousand repetitions of _any_ amount of weight in about two hours was a feat worthy of a titan. At one hundred and fifteen pounds, he was becoming a _god_ in Ernie's eyes.

That's when it happened, too quick for Ernie to have stopped it. Zach had been skateboarding around the weight area while Kimberly was blowing a large bubble from her bubblegum. One thing led to another and Zach ran into Kim, popping the bubble coming from Kim's mouth. Jason, worried something had happened and that someone had gotten hurt, lost concentration _right_ when he had gotten to the top, not _fully_ extending his arms. The weight came crashing down onto his chest as Kim and Zach tried to get the goop off of their faces.

Ernie turned around, throwing his sandwich down on the ground and staring intently at the two. "What the heck is your problem!?"

"Huh?" Zach asked, confused.

"Your supposed _friend_ here, Jason, has been working his _tail_ off trying to get this record. Do you know how hard this feat is!?" Ernie asked.

"Um... hard?" Kim asked.

Fire was dancing in Ernie's eyes. "Yeah, it's _hard_ , Miss Hart. _Really_ hard. I mean, what the heck!? Your best friend is here, and the very _moment_ he's to beat the record you try to see if you can blow the world's biggest bubble from your gum!? What's wrong with you!?"

"I..." Kim started.

Struggling to get up, Jason looked to Ernie. "Hey, man. It's okay. I-"

"No, it's _not_ okay!" Ernie yelled, turning and pointing a finger in Zach's face. "And _you_! You didn't even come to _watch_ Jason. And you're _skateboarding_ around the yoga mats!? _No skateboarding in the building_! That's extremely dangerous!"

"I..." Zach muttered, trying to come up with an excuse.

"You _nothing_!" Ernie shouted.

"Ernie, _stop_!" Jason ordered, grabbing him from behind by the shoulder. "It was a mistake. Calm down. Why are you so worked up?"

"No, no... he's right, Jason," Kim said.

Zach, looking extremely humbled and humiliated, nodded. "I'm sorry, bro. That was really stupid of me. I'm sorry, Ernie."

"Ernie... What's wrong? It's okay." Jason said, looking at Ernie while people watched on awkwardly. "Seriously, I can do it some other time. I'll get it."

Ernie then realized what had happened. The frustration he felt toward Alphabet Soup, and himself, was being directed at the teens. Jason shouldn't had been involved in that second round of the record breaking to begin with. He was guilty, and his mind was channeling that to Kim and Zach.

"I'm... I'm sorry guys. Please forgive me," Ernie stated.

Kim smiled. "You're not at fault, Ernie. It's all good! You're just looking out for Jason and in the end? We appreciate that!"

"Yeah, man!" Zach said, giving Ernie a big hug. "That was totally boss how you stood up for Jason like that."

"Now, could you help me get to the locker room, Zach? I'm... not feeling well." Jason said, stumbling back a bit.

As Zach helped steady Jason, Kaplan's voice echoed in Ernie's ear. "You have _no_ idea how lucky you are that those teens are _saints_ and you actually _gained_ their trust after that stunt, Agent Finestein! You are _much_ too emotionally involved! Just know that you are replaceable, understood!? You don't want me calling Agent Mendoza to... _rectify_ you from the situation..."

Ernie sneered. He then turned and made his way back to the Juice Bar area of the Youth Center. Back to the smoothies laced with performance enhancing drugs. Back to being the lackey for Alphabet Soup.

. . .

A few hours had gone by. Jason, Kim, and Zach had downed their smoothies and Kimberly was already back to practicing on the high beam. While she practiced, Jason and Zach watched on.

"So what do you say, Jase? All is forgiven?" Zach asked.

"Apology..." Jason stated, giving a look of indetermination on his face before smiling. "Accepted."

As that happened, Ernie heard Zach call out to him to get more fruit smoothies. Doing just that, he had Kaplan's voice in his ear.

"Excellent!" Kaplan said, smiling. "Zach is apologizing now to Kimberly! Oh, they are working so cohesively as a group! It's fantastic!

"And now it seems that Jason is opening up! Listen in, Finestein!" Kaplan stated, tuning Ernie's earpiece to hear what Jason was saying via the various surveillance tech scattered about the Youth Center.

"... this bench press record thing," Jason was heard saying. "I don't want to be known as a quitter."

"A quitter!?" Zach said outloud, loud enough for Ernie to hear his actual voice from the Juice Bar.

"Shh!" Jason told Zach.

The reason he was shushing Zach so much was because he had seen _him_ walk in. The man who threatened his ego. Farkas Bulkmeier.

Laughing fake uncontrollably, Bulk approached the trio as Skull followed behind. "Hi, pinhead. I heard you choked today. The bench press record is still _mine_."

Zach jumped up from his chair as he saw Bulk grab Jason from behind and lift him up out of his seat. It was startling for anyone watching to see Bulk be so brazen and to not only taunt _the_ Jason Lee Scott, but to also _touch_ him. Jason's ego being deflated, he was a bit scared to do anything back. And all the while, Kaplan watched in awe.

"Most fascinating!" Kaplan said. "By failing the bench press test in Bulk's eyes, Bulk sees himself as the ultimate Alpha of the school! Amazing! And Jason isn't doing anything about it!"

Jason looked at Zach. "Hey, I got this!"

"Oh, you're _tough,_ " Bulk said, mockingly. "You're a _man_. You're so tough, I'm _shaking_."

"Hey Bulk? You ticklish?" Jason asked.

With confusion etched on his face, Bulk looked at Jason. Before he could do anything, Jason reached back and began _tickling_ Bulk. Jason then casually stepped on Bulk's foot _hard_ (hoping it would look like an accident). Bulk felt so much pain coming from that massive foot stomping that he doubled over. Unfortunately for him when he did, his jeans ripped near the bottom region. Skull tried helping, but ended up completely ripping them. In shame, Bulk lumbered out of the Juice Bar, chasing down a frightened Skull.

"I told you I could handle it myself!" Jason proclaimed.

"Most intriguing!" Kaplan stated.

"What now?" Ernie asked under his breath as he finished the smoothies.

"Jason was obviously threatened _physically_ by Bulk, but in him the _need_ to be an alpha male caused him to shift gears and to out-think the brute," Kaplan stated. "I really would've guessed that Jason would had either backed down, or fought Bulk. This I did not see coming from him."

Listening to Kaplan, Ernie made his way to the table. As he did, he heard Jason's communicator go off. He watched as Jason rather abruptly placed his hand over the wrist tech to hide it from Ernie.

 _Doofus._ Thought Ernie. _Just say it's your watch alarm or something. "The lady doth protest too much..."_

"He's being very protective of it!" Kaplan observed as well. "Ask him about it!"

Following orders, Ernie leaned over. He stared at Jason's communicator, and just before he was to ask, Zach offered something while the other two sat, frozen in Fear.

"Um... new watch!" Zach stammered.

 _Nice save... but you guys need to act cool. Seriously..._ Ernie thought as the teens began to pack up.

As they left, Ernie smiled to himself as he set the plate down. He was happy to not have served the concoction of drugs to them. That's one serving they wouldn't need to deal with having in their system.

Looking around the entryway to the locker room and seeing they were alone, Jason placed his communicator up to his face. "Zordon, we read you."

"Power Rangers. Rita-"

"That's it! That's it!" Kaplan screamed as he clapped in the back room. "Those three _are_ Power Rangers! McKnight will be _ecstatic_!"

Ernie felt defeated. He had a sneaking suspicion that they were the rangers themselves, but now that Kaplan officially knew that they were he began to worry. Would they attack them? Would the government take them? Ernie knew not, and he feared the worst.

"They're morphing!" Kaplan cried out.

Ernie rushed to the back room. As he did, he saw Kimberly standing in the hallway with a small device in her hand, pointing out in front of her (her morpher).

"Pterodactyl!"

"Tyrannosaurus!" Jason cried out.

Ernie and Kaplan watched as the three were covered in Morphing Energy before they became the Black, Pink, and Red Power Rangers. Before their very eyes on the monitors, they were teleported away to the location of the disturbance Zordon had found.

"I... I don't believe it!" Kaplan gasped.

"That was amazing..." Ernie said, astonished with what he had just witnessed.

"The Power Rangers are downtown. I need you monitoring them, Kaplan!" McKnight's voice was heard over Kaplan's sidedrawer radio.

"General McKnight! I'm sending you a file right now!" Kaplan replied over the radio. "Watch it _immediately_!"

"I don't have time for this, Agent Kaplan!" McKnight screamed back.

"Watch it _now_... sir," Kaplan added at the end, the momentum of what had just happened causing him to forget his place momentarily.

After a brief pause, Ernie and Kaplan heard a chuckled from the radio. "Excellent work, Kaplan. Monitor the situation please. More instructions will come forthwith."

Nodding, Kaplan pushed a button on his monitor. It was tuned to the frequency that his computer was linked to from Dr. Harlen's system. Immediately he saw an image of the three rangers fighting at the Children's Theater. As they fought, a grey skinned Monster appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. He seemed to have a similar build as Goldar. Kaplan deduced correctly that they were of the same species. He knew not who the creature was, but the Future: Omega Ranger watching from the year 2050 did. It was King Sphinx, the former king of the planet Egypticus. The Monster had originally met his end at the hands of the Black Gaia Ranger on the Dark Fortress ten thousand years prior, while the Dragonzord and Robo Knight had fought against the villainous zord known as Cyclopsis. It was apparent that Finster had used his Magical clay and the Monstermatic to create a clone of the Monster, bringing his Spirit out of the Abyss of Evil and back to the land of the living. Black Energy floated around him, showing Omega that King Sphinx was more like a Demon possessing a clay vessel. Knowing that, he wondered how much more powerful King Sphinx was at that point compared to what the former king of Egypticus was thousands of years ago.

Ernie watched, tense, as King Sphinx flapped his wings. Suddenly, the Pink Ranger got caught in the wind created by the wings. Before she could react, she was tossed away.

"Where did she go!?" Ernie asked.

Scrambling on his monitors, Kaplan looked back to Ernie while shocked. "She's... back here!"

Peaking out from the back, he saw a demorphed Kimberly lying on her beam. "Huh?"

"It seems to be some sort of power connected to whatever energy helps them 'morph', as GA Rex has termed it," Kaplan explained. "I think the power from that grey Monster is sending the teens back to the last place they were before they morphed!"

Kaplan watched as Black Ranger got very upset over not having Kim around, wanting to know what became of his teammate. Via the Time Force Cameras, Omega Ranger could see Red Energy floating all around the hothead as he began to taunt the Putties, followed by a punch to the face on the villain Squatt, who had been seated nearby and watching.

Before long, though, Black Ranger was also beamed away. Ernie turned to look out from the backroom to find Zach appear on the beam next to Kimberly. He was shocked no one else had seen them teleport in the way they had.

"But... where are the other rangers?" Kaplan wondered outloud as Ernie made his way back.

. . .

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!" Alpha 5 declared as he held fast to a teddy bear he used for comfort on occasion. "Jason in trouble! Rita has him isolated! Contact is impossible!"

Zordon paused before shaking his head. "Yes, Alpha. Billy and Trini are busy working on amplifying the communicators. We cannot get them to Jason right now. But do not worry. Jason is more than fine to handle this alone."

"Okay..." Alpha 5 said, though still worried about the Red Ranger.

 _ **. . .**_

 _ **1993 AD - Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B**_

Suddenly, Kim's voice was heard from the Command Center. "Zordon!? Our morphers aren't working!"

"You will need to wait for them to recharge," Zordon stated. "The attack Sphinx used on you has scrambled your connection to the Universal Morphing Grid. It will take a bit of time for it to recharge itself."

"Zordon?" Saba asked as he stood next to his old friend in the desert of the Time Warp. "Seriously? Why do you think that we can't get the teens to Jason!? At least send Billy and Trini!"

Zordon smiled. "I know King Sphinx. The United Alliance worked with his planet and he was a valued ally before he defected to work for Master Vile. Jason can handle him fine alone."

"Well, I know he _can_ , but why risk it? Why not have the full team take Sphinx down?" Saba asked as the two watched the Red Ranger grappling with King Sphinx via the Viewing Globe.

"Well... you've been very _vocal_ as of late about how you prefer Billy over Jason as leader. Well, I want you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt how good of a ranger Jason is. This should not only prove to _you_ that he is the right choice for leader, but perhaps even boost his own awareness of what his potential is." Zordon said, smiling as he spoke.

Saba sighed. "Why didn't you just tell Alpha that? Why leave the poor chap in the dark?"

It was Zordon's turn to sigh at that remark. "I dunno... I... you're really the only person outside of Trinity I was ever able to open up to. I... I just don't feel comfortable talking to others about things. It's something I've always had a problem with. You know that!"

"It's actually something you inherited from _me,_ " A voice said from behind them.

Turning around, Zordon saw none other than Zordon-A. The man who was his temporal counterpart from a Timeline long since lost in the ether of Time and Space. The man who sacrificed everything to go back and ensure one of the most vile creatures who had ever lived would never again get the opportunity to be created by going back in Time and stopping it. The man who abused his position outside of Space and Time to steal Zordon's son, Zrin, from him. The man Zordon hated.

"What are _you_ doing here!?" Zordon spat.

"I watch you from time to time," Zordon-A revealed. "Something I realized about you is that... well, you may have noticed that you aren't as... temperamental as you used to be? More forgiving? That's because when you were first born, after we created Timeline B, you inherited all of my character. Your individual Spirit, though? Over time it let itself shine. With the help of people like your Trinity, Burai, Tria... the _real_ you, the Spirit who inherited my life in this new Timeline, was able to present itself. You still have some bad habits from me, though, like... like not sharing things with others. I am an old, arrogant fool, Zordon. I have secluded myself from others for my whole life. I shut people out. The only two people I ever trusted, my Trinity and my Saba, were destroyed by my own hand after Ultimecia corrupted them. I've since let myself slip into my old ways. They are wrong, but... well, I need deal with my own problems."

Zordon sneered at his Temporal Twin. "Why are you here and why are you telling me this!?"

"You didn't explain to Alpha 5 why you had done what you had done, but... that's something you inherited from me. That's not who _you_ are. You're... you're better than me. In every possible way. You've done so much, and there is yet so much more you will do. Your potential is unbelievable. Don't let _me_ hold you back," Zordon-A stated.

Unconsciously growling, Saba looked at him. "The next time we want your opinion, we'll let you know."

Sighing, Zordon-A nodded. He turned around and vanished into the portal to the Hall of Legends. All that was left, as usual, were the two old friends in their Time Warp.

Zordon turned back to look at the hologram connecting their dimension to the Command Center in Universe M54331Z-B. As he did, he tried to shake off what Zordon-A had said to him. He could not and would not accept the fact that he had _anything_ in common with the man who he hated.

As he looked on, Zordon saw that Sphinx had teleported both himself and Red Ranger to the quarry in the Abandoned Warehouse District. He swallowed hard as he saw that, knowing that Rita had specifically sent them there to get closer to his research artifacts strewn about in those storage containers.

Noting the same thing, Saba turned to Zordon. "Ready to change your mind yet?"

"No. Jason can do this," Zordon said. "I know he can."

. . .

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B**_

Back in the backroom of the Juice Bar, Kaplan continued to watch as Ernie ran up to the Juice Bar's front to take care of some customers. As he watched he noted King Sphinx saying something to Jason about not having his friends with him.

"Eureka!" Kaplan declared.

"What is it!?" Ernie demanded, rushing to the back. "What did I miss!?"

"It was something that grey Monster said! Rita has isolated Jason to take him on solo because they believe he is weaker alone! Don't you see!?" Kaplan said, beaming.

"Um... no," Ernie stated.

"Rita was watching Jason today! Our experiment!" Kaplan exclaimed. "She saw him fail twice on the bench press, a _solo_ endeavor. She thinks she can take him down solo because of those two flubs!"

"But that was _our_ fault, not Jason's," Ernie stated.

"Exactly. But she doesn't realize that," Kaplan replied. "She's about to get sorely disappointed."

Ernie shook his head, pointing at the monitor. "I don't think so. Look."

Turning around, Kaplan saw that Goldar had joined the fight. "Uh-oh..."

Sweating behind his visor, Jason staggered back as both Sphinx and Goldar slashed at his chest at the same time. He clutched the damaged portion of his suit, breathing hard.

 _Oh, man! This is a nightmare!_ Red Ranger thought.

"It is good to be fighting alongside you once again, my brother!" Sphinx said as both he and Goldar fired Red Energy at the Red Ranger.

Connecting with the fatigued ranger, Goldar nodded. "I have missed you. The war sent us in different directions. I only found out recently that you had been destroyed way back when..."

Sphink nodded as he tossed his staff like a javelin at the Red Ranger. "How have you survived all of these years? And what happened to your voice!?"

"I was trapped, Sphinx. Zordon of Eltar did it, putting us in a prison for ten thousand years!" Goldar said as he watched Red Ranger get hit by the staff. "I tried finding you, and that's when I discovered you had fallen in battle.

"And my throat was damaged in my last fight before Zordon imprisoned us. It is a reminder of my revenge!"

"That's it, monkey boys!" Red Ranger yelled. "Hiyah!"

"Bring it on, _Human_!" Sphinx yelled, upset his family reunion was being interrupted.

Red Ranger swung his mighty sword, blocking a swipe from Goldar. Kicking with his left leg, he was able to deflect Sphinx's staff. With his right leg, he kicked up and connected his foot to Sphinx's face before sliding his sword off of Goldar's. As that happened, he dropped to his stomach and slashed at Goldar's ankles with his sword, causing the warrior to fall onto his back.

"Argh!" Goldar screamed as pain shot up his spine.

While Red Ranger limped up (sore not only from the grueling battle but also his prior attempts at the bench press record), Sphinx sprinted to his brother. He bent over and picked Goldar up, helping him onto his feet.

"What's wrong, Goldar!?"

"My back was injured by Zordon many years ago... That's why I cannot spread my wings!" Goldar cried out.

"And that's not the only thing that won't work after _I'm_ done with you!" Red Ranger declared proudly.

"Insolent Human!" Sphinx spat.

Before another word was uttered, Rita's wand landed nearby. Red Energy and Blue Magic erupted from it. Before long, vapors of Magic emanated from the shaking earth, causing both Goldar and Sphinx to grow.

Red Ranger was in shock. He had never seen _two_ giant Monsters before. As he tried to call for his Dinozord, the two marched toward him, stopping him at every turn. He was cornered.

"These guys are too much... _Man_ I wish the other guys were here!" Red Ranger declared.

. . .

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B**_

In the Time Warp, Saba turned to Zordon. "Well, not only was his fighting impressive but it would also seem as if he realizes how important it is that he does not venture out on his own to fight. He _needs_ his team."

Zordon smiled. "I'm glad you're agreeing with me."

As he said this Billy, Trini, Zach, and Kimberly appeared in the Command Center. They all had looks of worry on their faces.

Saba nodded. "Right on time..."

"Zordon! Where is Jason!?" Trini demanded, worried sick.

Looking at them, he realized that they had not yet looked at the Viewing Globe. Wanting to play things off as if he hadn't known so he wouldn't have to answer questions about why he hadn't communicated with them, he looked to Alpha 5.

"Alpha, adjust the Morphing Grid and locate Jason on the Viewing Globe," Zordon ordered.

 _That's weird... I thought he was already there... oh, well!_ Alpha 5 thought as he simply pushed a button to make the image less fuzzy on the Viewing Globe.

The four teens were shocked as they saw Sphinx and Goldar trying to step on Red Ranger. They were certain they were about to see the end of their dear friend.

"I still think Jason needs to work on calling his zord faster," Saba commented to Zordon.

"Zordon, this seems hopeless," Trini stated.

"Indeed it would, Trini," Zordon answered. "Were it not for your Power Crystals."

"I completely forgot about those..." Saba said. "But how will they help?"

"Of course!" Alpha 5 declared. "Put your hands together and bring forth the Power Crystals!"

Morphing Energy coursed through them as Zordon explained to them that the crystals contained the essence of their Morphing Powers. Decades earlier, Saba and Zordon had been watching Alpha 5 work on the Power Morphers when they made a connection to how the Power Coins worked similarly to the Zeo Crystal. Remembering what he had learned from Michael and Orion's research, Zordon told Saba about how the Zeo Crystal had been a crystal that had somehow solidified from the Morphing Grid itself. That led them to having Alpha 5 test the Power Coins to see if they could soldify whatever bit of Morphing Energy was in them. After a few experiments Alpha 5 had been able to successfully cause what they later called a Power Crystal to come from the Power Coins. That information had been logged into the Power Morpher's internal database and the instructions were being pumped into the teens' brains to teach them how exactly to channel their powers into the Coins to create the Crystals. They were to be used to help amplify the powers of the zords, with special slots put into the console to replace the joystick there. It was only to be used when things were very difficult, as per the rules of the Order of Meledon.

Noting that Rita had actually amplified her powers to ensure that it would be _very_ difficult for Zordon to get the rangers to Jason, Zordon knew the Power Crystals were his best bet. Pure Morphing Energy like that would be exactly what he needed to break through Rita's defenses. Explaining to the rangers that he would send the Power Crystals to Jason, he ordered Alpha 5 to do so.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield (which had become so protected by Rita that Kaplan was no longer able to monitor the battle), the Red Ranger felt the Morphing Grid itself begin to flow from his Power Sword. He was shocked, but grateful. He had actually gotten the opportunity to call for his zord, but was finding that it was not coming to him due to the force field around that area of battle. He watched in awe as the beam of Morphing Energy erupted from his sword and hit a quarry wall. Feeling a draw to the point where the beam had come from his sword, Red Ranger dug as fast as he could through the rubble until he found the bag with the teens' Power Coins/Crystals in it. As he did, King Sphinx shot a blast at him that would had destroyed him had it hit.

His Power Morpher causing the information to be "downmorphed" into his brain, Red Ranger knew exactly what to do. He pulled out the Power Crystals from the bag and tossed them, causing them to break through the barrier around the field and appear ready for battle from the Command Center.

"Zordon?" Saba asked as the teens called for their zords. "How did the Red Power Crystal get in the bag if Jason has his coin?"

"That was actually a small piece of Meledon Ranger power I solidified just in case it was needed," Zordon explained. "I telepathically teleported it from the Power Chamber under the Command Center into the bag. It was necessary to have because those four Crystals were not powerful enough to break through Rita's barrier on their own."

"So... could Jason use it to become the Meledon Ranger?" Saba asked as he watched the Megazord in Tank Mode shoot massive amounts of Morphing Energy at Sphinx and Goldar.

Laughing, Zordon shook his head. "Oh, no. He is not prepared for something like that. Only someone who the Order of Meledon picks would be able to do that."

"But, if someone were ready for something like that then technically they _could_ use it to become Meledon Ranger?" Saba asked.

"Yes, but that's why I keep it safe in the Power Chamber. In fact, after the zords were summoned I already teleported it back," Zordon answered.

As that line of conversation ended, Zordon and Saba watched as the rangers caused the Megazord to enter Battle Mode. Upon completing the transformation, they watched as the Megazord began, for the first time, to fight more than one opponent at a time. Zordon was tense as he was uncertain the rangers were ready for such a feat.

As Sphinx had been impressively knocked down the same way Goldar had, the latter Monster righted himself and swung his blade, hitting the Megazord a few times before swinging for what he hoped would be a crippling blow. As he did, the rangers were shocked to find themselves locked out from the computer system. As they panicked, they felt the Megazord lean back and dodge Goldar's attack. Just as it did, Red Ranger looked down at his console and noticed something that hadn't been there before. Instead of his Power Coin's symbol which was normally there, what _was_ there was a symbol he didn't recognize, though the Future: Omega Ranger _did_. It was the symbol of the Power Coin that Burai had once used. It was the symbol of the Green Ranger.

Reading the system and putting the odd new symbol to the side of his mind for the time being, Red Ranger was able to see that for some reason the Megazord was moving into Tank Mode. As it did, the Megazord rammed Goldar (still all on its own).

"What's happening!?" Saba demanded.

Zordon furrowed his brow. "I have no clue. Alpha!? Run diagnostics _now_!"

Meanwhile, the Megzord automatically returned to Battle Mode. As it did, Blue Ranger thought quickly and shot a concentrated blast of Morphing Energy out from a port on the Megazord's head. The blast consisted of all five Power Crystals' energies. Or so it seemed.

"Zordon! I'm getting traces of a _sixth_ Power Coin in the Megazord's system!" Alpha 5 reported.

. . .

 _ **1993 AD - Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B**_

"Impossible!" Both Saba and Zordon gasped.

"It is coming from the _Green_ Spectrum of the Morphing Grid!" Alpha 5 declared.

"But... how!?" Saba asked.

"Alpha... continue running tests, please," Zordon asked, feeling very uncomfortable as he continued watching from his Time Warp.

. . .

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B**_

Goldar rushed at Megazord, but was thrown down to the side as if he was nothing. He fell onto a rock, once again hurting his spine. He moaned in pain as Sphinx jumped in, trying to use his Air Bending powers to disconnect the Megazord from the Morphing Grid. He was sorely disappointed when he realized that it would not work, since he had already exhausted his powers earlier while sending Kimberly and Zach back to the Youth Center.

From on the ground, still injured, Goldar watched as the Megazord suddenly looked up. From the sky, infused with the power of Thunder, the Megazord's Power Sword materialized and descended. Before Goldar could react, the sword was picked up and charged. Within moments, the Megazord performed its deadly long distance attack and slashed at King Sphinx.

"Brother!" Goldar screamed.

King Sphinx's screams of pain and anguish echoed through the battlefield. The pain was intense. It was a pain he had felt before from Guy, the Black Gaia Ranger. He knew it was the end of his Life, just as it had been before. He wanted desperately to call out to Goldar, to let his brother know that he loved him and believed in him but, it was too late. He had no energy left. The last thing he did before exploding was fall to the earth.

"Nooo!" Goldar screamed. He then noticed that the Megazord had turned its attention to him.

Grunting, he turned and said, "We'll meet again, Power Rangers!"

Teleporting back up to the Moon Palace, Goldar stomped into Finster's lab. He did not say a word to anyone as he did, intent on speaking directly with the scientist.

"Finster! What did you do to my brother!?" Goldar demanded.

"Huh!?" Finster exclaimed.

"He was a pushover! Why did you power him down!?" Accused the armored warrior.

"I... I didn't! He was more powerful than ever! It... It's not _my_ fault! It's... it's those Power Rangers!" Finster stammbered.

That's when he heard Rita call out for them. In a daze after having seen his brother destroyed right before his eyes, he just let her screaming and yelling wash over him. He noted at one point that she stormed off the balcony area after she had been done berating them, being pushed out of the way, but he didn't pay any mind to it. He only had the scene of his brother's destruction play in his mind over, and over, and over again.

 _My brother... no! Oh, please no! This... this cannot be happening!_ Goldar thought to himsef as he slowly began to think again in not only images of horrible destruction. _This is all_ _his_ _fault. Jason! The Red Ranger! Just like I promised that Green Ranger long ago that I'd end his Life, I promise the same to this Red Ranger! Just like I was there as Burai was destroyed, I_ _will_ _be there to end you, Jason! Your life is forfeit now to_ _me_ _!_

. . .

Jason was steady. He was concentrating. He was ready. He was _not_ going to lose _again_. He breated out as he pushed the ever increasingly heavy weight up off his chest as Trini yelled out his one thousand and fourth press.

Ernie watched on, trying not to smile. He had been very sly, asking Trini beforehand in secret to be the one to count. Knowing that she was counting helped him not have to be in the awkward situation of having to pretend to lose count if Kaplan felt so inclined.

In the crowd, unnoticed by anyone, was Richie Mendoza. _Ha! This is the guy who is Zordon's Red Ranger? Yeah he's strong but... really? He's nothing special! I saw the footage. He_ _tickled_ _Bulk to get out of having to fight him, instead of showing what kind of a man he really is. He's_ _nothing_ _compared to me..._

"One thousand and ten... yes! Ladies and gentlemen! We have a new record!" Trini yelled happily.

The four teens surrouned Jason, cheering for him. He sat there, aching and covered in sweat. He felt so very tired and sore, but something about having his closest friends around him made it seem all the more tolerable. As they sat they, encouraging him and congratulating him, he felt more powerful than he ever had before.

Gasping, he called out, "I couldn't have done it without you guys!"

That was Ernie's cue. Telling people to move out of the way, Ernie wheeled in a giant cake he had ordered. He had been hoping and praying that Jason would had been successful, making sure the cake was there for Jason. He knew the poor guy'd be hungry and hoped the cake (not tainted with anything from Alphabet Soup) would help satiate his appetite (which was sure to be huge after accomplishing what he had accomplished).

"Now listen... Is this a cake, or is this a cake!?" Ernie asked happily.

"'Happy birthday... _Mom_?'" Jason asked, laughing.

Ernie turned red, suddenly realizing that he must had grabbed the wrong cake in his rush out of the store. "Well, what do you expect for the last minute?"

Then, lying, he added, "It was the only cake they had left!"

"Thanks for being there, guys." Jason said to them all, smiling.

And that's when Bulk and Skull made their presence known. "Hey, muscle brains. I'm going to get my record back!"

Ernie stared at Bulk. For the first time, he actually saw Bulk as a Human. He could see real pain in Bulk's face as he told Jason that he'd get his record back. He then realized how much that record must have meant to Bulk. From Bulk's perspective, Ernie realized how intimidating Jason must be for him. He realized that the one thing that helped Bulk think that he could compete _at all_ with Jason was taken from him. Ernie thought about how it must had been eating away at Bulk during each try at the record, and how horrible he must had been feeling at that very moment. Ernie was indeed right. Bulk was feeling absolutely dreadful and the only way he knew to react to that was to lash out.

After Bulk and Skull had a little back and forth between each other, Kim shouted out to them. She told them casually to "get a life".

"Come on, don't you guys _ever_ give up?" Trini asked, sincerely wondering why they even tried to prove anything of themselves.

"Yo man, why don't you just have a piece of cake and chill?" Zach offered, finally being the one voice of reason between everyone present.

"Cake?" Bulk asked, feeling happy that he was actually being treated with some decency. "Yeah, all right I'll have some cake! But I get the first piece!"

Ernie sighed. _Always have to try to win something, huh?_

As Skull mimicked Bulk's final sentence, Bulk turned around once again to complain about how he hated that horrible habit of his. In doing so, unfortunately, Bulk didn't see the weights at his feet. He tripped and landed headfirst into the cake.

As that happened, Dr. Kaplan shook his head. _Oh, Bulk... so much potential. Your brain is so malwired it's a_ _crime_ _. This... this isn't working. I'm going to have to try something new. Something..._ _different_ _for both you and Skull. Prepare yourselves, boys. I'm going to put you two through the test of your lives!_

. . .

"... and that's what I saw in the Megazord, Zordon," Jason said, finishing explaining how he saw the Green Ranger symobl in the cockpit. "What is it?"

"Jason, there are many mysteries to the Morphing Grid," Zordon answered slyly. "Sometimes it takes great effort and concentration to uncover those secrets."

"I'm not ready yet to uncover it?" Jason asked, disappointed.

Zordon shook his head. "Not yet."

"Then how can I become better?" Jason asked.

Zordon nodded slowly. "Alpha? Set up some training modules for Jason. Modules to help him learn more of the Megazord system."

"Will do, Zordon!" Alpha said happily as he began to push buttons in the Command Center.

"Jason, you will come in every morning before school for one hour. These modules will help you become a better leader and a better Power Ranger," Zordon explained.

Jason nodded slowly and solemnly. "Thank you, Zordon. I will do all I can to become the best I can be."

. . .

 _ **1993 AD - Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B**_

As Jason teleported out, Saba looked at Zordon. "Well, he certainly has the drive. But I can't help but think that if you had been more honest about the existence of the Green Ranger with Jason that-"

"He's not ready for that. I don't want the rangers wasting time sitting and thinking of that other Power Coin Rita has. It won't be good for them to dwell on such things," Zordon stated.

"Isn't that what Baelfire did with us when it comes to the situation with Dulcea?" Saba asked.

"No! This is different! This... we're the good guys! We're trying to save the universe, not just one person!" Zordon demanded angrily.

Saba furrowed his brow. "Maybe there's more of that other Zordon in you than you like to admit."

Fuming, Zordon turned around and stomped away. His fists were clenched and he could feel his blood boiling. He couldn't believe that Saba had the gall to compare him to that _other_ Zordon. He couldn't believe that he had _anything_ in common with him at all!

 _But... maybe I do?_ Zordon thought as he walked away from Saba, getting some distance to think.

While Zordon walked away, Saba looked to the dune leading to the area that had the trial to meet the Tribunal of Magic. _Now's just as good a time as any, then..._

Having been waiting for an opportunity to slip away from Zordon to meet with the Tribunal for the past few days (after Zordon had nearly destroyed himself using his powers to shrink a Monster because "the Order of Meledon told him to", as Saba sarcastically thought of it), Saba saw the opportunity and pounced on it. He sprinted as fast as he could through the sand to climb up the side of the dune. He was going to speak with the Tribunal of Magic.

. . .

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B**_

"Is it scheduled?" McKnight asked.

Harlen nodded. "It is. The debut fight between Zordon's Red Ranger and ours."

"Fantastic. The fight between him and Jason at the Angel Grove Martial Arts Expo will show the General of the Army just how much better our Red Ranger is than _their_ Red Ranger." McKnight said, smiling as he looked at the file sitting on the table before Harlen.

"But... I've heard around that you promised Agent Richie Mendoza the spot of Red Ranger," Harlen said.

McKnight scoffed. "Him? I just said that to get him to work even harder. He's an insufferable simpleton. A weasel who'll do anything to climb the ladder to success. We don't need someone like that leading Global Strike. We need someone like _him_."

Looking down at the table, Harlen nodded as he red the name on the folder outloud. "Tommy Oliver. Well, our guys are heading over there right now to pick him up and bring him in. We'll start training him right away!"

. . .

Walking out of the gym he trained at in San Angeles, Tommy Oliver looked around. He noted that it was getting late and his adoptive parents were probably getting worried.

"Maybe I can take the trolley to- hey!" Tommy yelled as a man dressed in black garb leapt out of some bushes and tackled him to the ground.

"Ungh!" Tommy screamed as he pushed the guy off of him.

Leaping onto his feet and tossing his backpack to the side, it was almost as if he could _feel_ someone leaping to grab him from behind. Dropping down to do the splits, the man sailed over him and landed nimbly next to the other assailant. Getting back up to his feet while wearing his martial arts shoes, he watched as ten more attackers ran into the area. They all wore the stealth-like black garb, with masks over their faces.

"Come with us now and you won't have any problems, kid," The first attacker stated simply.

Tommy scoffed. "Heh... _you're_ the ones about to have _problems_. Zip-dooyah!"


	5. Chapter Five: Different Drum

**Chapter Five: Different Drum**

 ** _1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B_**

Tommy Oliver, the Freshman martial arts prodigy from San Angeles, was the first person to have been targeted by General of the Army Rex's right hand man, General McKnight. Tommy found himself surrounded by a group of nearly a dozen of soldiers dressed in black to apprehend him. He knew not why, and he didn't care. All he knew was that he needed to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"Yah!" Tommy cried out as he jump kicked a taser gun out of one of the assailant's hands.

"Remember: McKnight doesn't want him hurt!" The Squad Leader yelled.

 _McKnight? Who is that?_ Tommy thought as he kicked another soldier in the chest.

"Fire!" A second soldier yelled.

Tommy turned and was shocked to see three soldiers shoot taser guns at him simultaneously. He knew right then and there that his time was probably up. That there would be no way for him to get out of that situation. Closing his eyes, Tommy did a back flip to dodge as many of the shots that he could.

"Yah!" A voice unknown to Tommy yelled.

Tommy landed, surprised to find himself still conscious. Opening his eyes, he saw all of the people on the ground, unconscious.

"Man... what happened?" Tommy thought outloud.

"I'll take care of this." Zrin said, stepping out from the shadows after having demorphed outside of Tommy's line of vision.

Tommy turned to see Zrin flash him a fake badge. "You're police?"

"Yes," Zrin lied. "Now head out, please."

"Um... don't you need to question me or something?" Tommy asked, confused.

"No. Now leave before more of these crazies show up!" Zrin said, looking around cautiously.

"Right!" Tommy said, Fear suddenly striking him. He then turned around and sprinted away.

As he did, Burai-A still in his Ultra Green Ranger suit stepped out from behind a tree. "That's him? The guy who will inherit my power?"

Zrin nodded. "Yes. He's the one September says will become the next Green Ranger."

"Well, he is one heck of a fighter." Ultra Green said, looking around. "He held his own up until they brought out their weapons."

"Yes, he did," Zrin stated. "That's why the Guardian and September said we needed to make sure he stays safe. We can't let McKnight have him."

"Has September figured out how McKnight is tampering with the plan we had set up?" Ultra Green Ranger asked.

Zrin shook his head. "No... there seems to be someone feeding the government of the United States information that they shouldn't have. It's someone with Time Magic capabilities."

"The Traveler? Supreme? Ghost of Darkness?" Ultra Green asked.

"We don't know," Zrin stated simply. "But what I do know is this: there are others who will be targeted for this 'Alphabet Soup'. We need to protect them to ensure the forces of evil don't win, Burai. Now let's go. We need to speak with Zordon..."

. . .

Rita Repulsa sighed as she sat in her room in the Moon Palace. She had just discovered that she had overused her powers in her previous attack against the Power Rangers and that it would be a while before she could create another force field with such power. That realization was quite sobering for her. As she reflected on that, she looked around in a rare moment of clarity. She thought about how odd it was that she was there, a place that had once been centuries upon centuries earlier a base of operations for the Morphing Masters. She didn't know the history of the Venerated Ones who watched over Earth from the Moon, keeping an eye on it and the Power Eggs. All she knew was that she was essentially the opposite of what a Morphing Master was, trying to build up her own empire at the expense of others as opposed to sacrificing herself to help those who could not do so for their own sake. She giggled a little bit to herself in her frail, aging body at that thought as her eyes landed on the orb sitting beneath her telescope.

That big, blue orb was a symbol for all those who had once been Morphing Masters. She recalled how close she had come to becoming a Master herself. For years she had been a sleeper agent in the United Alliance of Evil. Under the direction of her "father", Master Vile, she had helped him (and by extension, Queen Bansheera) get Project White Genesis up and running. Feeding the information to the United Alliance about Blue Globbor's weakness was the beginning of the end for the master plan. After Decrof had fallen and had become Gamma Vile and having at the same time Rita ("Margaret") approximate The Top, it was only a matter of time before Project White Genesis had finished. She remembered how, at the time, she was becoming excited to actually be able to call herself a Morphing Master. She remembered how disappointed she had been when she discovered that before her official inauguration that she was called upon to take down Sentinel Knight and help in grabbing the Zeo Crystal.

Getting up slowly, she walked out onto the balcony and stared out onto the landscape of the Moon. She could see the spot where she had ended her career in the United Alliance, blasting Sentinel Knight from behind as he was squaring off with a Dark Lord possessed Commander Zedd. She remembered how good it had felt to finally show her true colors to the _fools_ in the Alliance, yet deep inside there was a part of her that hadn't quite let go of the fact that she hadn't quite become a Morphing Master.

 _Yet I was so close!_ She thought bitterly as Red Energy began to float around her. _I had beaten both Burai and Cestro in The Trials. I had been selected! If that stupid Zedd hadn't gone to attack the Zeo Crystal when he did, I would have instated!_

Turning around again, her eyes fell on the Morphing Master symbol for a second time. Sighing, she let her eyes drift up and gaze at her eyepiece to Earth. Sighing heavily, she reluctantly dragged herself to the telescope. Placing her eyes into the contraption she spied at the teens who called themselves the Power Rangers. She saw Kimberly teaching a dance class and the haphazard Billy tripping over himself, crashing into various objects in the room. As she saw this, wondering how she could ever be losing to such a group of inexperienced misfits, she heard the music from Kimberly's dance class playing in the background.

"Ugh, I _hate_ all that kid music!" She screeched, already in a bad mood from her previous thinking.

Right then, she had an idea. It was a cloudy one, influenced by the maddening Rage given to her by Lord Zedd's enchantment years prior. She decided that she would use a Monster who could use _music_ to defeat the Power Rangers. Her brain started working maniacally, thinking of villains of old like the Pied Piper. She figured she could have someone like him use Music Magic to be able to manipulate the minds of those she wished to target to help her get the Power Rangers in a weakened state to wipe them off the face of the planet.

As Rita was thinking about that, Goldar stood to the side. He, too, was pensive. His thoughts didn't quite go in the way of helping Rita defeat the Power Rangers though. He was much more preoccupied with thoughts of grandeur. He was fully convinced that he would be able to be the universe's next grand evil monarch. Especially after seeing his brother fall right before his very eyes, Goldar was convinced that he would've not only been able to organize a better assault against the rangers but also had ensured his brother would've not been sacrificed.

But that in and of itself wasn't too big of an issue for Goldar. He had a secret weapon: the Time Device Rita had made when she was under the influence of the Ghost of Darkness. He planned on going back in Time and stopping Guy Kari from murdering his brother on the Dark Fortress. He planned on after that going back far enough to establish himself as a great power. Goldar planned on ruling the universe. The next step of his plan was already in place: he had commissioned Finster (without Rita knowing) to create for him a special Monster. He saw how dependent on automobiles the Human race had become and had given schematics for a Monster to Finster to get that done.

As he stood there, lost in thought, Goldar found himself approached by Squatt. "Hey, Goldar! What's wrong? Thinking too hard? Haha!"

Goldar sneered. "You call yourself a Monster!? You sound like a fool! Leave me be!"

As Goldar turned and walked away, Baboo walked up to Squatt. "Sheesh, what's _his_ problem?"

Squatt, having grown self conscious of his high pitched voice due to Goldar's "constructive criticism", lowered his voice to try and sound more tough. "Um... I don't know. He must be wound up still because of King Sphinx."

"Why are you sounding like that?" Baboo asked.

"Uh... I... I have a sore throat. That's all," Squatt lied.

"Everyone!? Listen up!" Rita said suddenly, having finished planning in her mind. "I'm going to use music to beat Zordon!"

"Music to beat the Power Rangers?" Squatt asked, still in his deeper than usual voice.

Rita nodded before turning around to call for Finster. As she did, Finster looked up and answered. He had been busy, toiling away on the Monster Goldar had previously asked him to work on.

"Yes, O nasty one," Finster stated. "I'm working on a marvelous Monster that eats cars and smells like a fish."

Goldar swallowed hard when he heard Finster say that. To not get Finster curious, he never told the scientist to not inform Rita of the "side project". Bracing himself for what would come next, Goldar watched intently to see how Rita would react to the news of Finster's newest Monster and if she would ask about who commissioned him to do it.

 _Maybe I can lie and say Dark Specter told me to do it?_ Goldar wondered.

"Never mind that!" Rita roared. "Make me a musical Monster that will mesmerize those pathetic Power Rangers and bring them to their knees! Like the Pied Piper only _meaner_!"

As Finster agreed to it, Goldar let out a long sigh. He had thought for sure he had buried himself in a situation that he could not get out of. Clutching his sword tightly in one hand, Goldar turned and left the room. Going through one of the doors programmed with the Edenoi technology Zordon had helped create eons prior, Goldar found himself in what he called the Dark Dimension. It was his personal practice room. He nodded slowly as he walked forward, bending over to grab the Time Device he had been working on that was hidden in the fog of his special training room.

 _Soon... Soon..._

. . .

 _ **Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B**_

Zordon watched as the Monster Alarm went off in the hologram in the sky, showing him the interior of the Command Center. He looked around to see if the sound would've attracted Saba. Nothing. He didn't know to where his best friend had gotten to. It had been eons since the two were separated. He figured that Saba had needed time to think but it had been at least two Earth days since Zordon had heard from him.

Closing his eyes and focusing, Zordon concentrated on the Monster. It seemed to be extremely weak, but with an abnormal connection to Music Magic. It had the ability to control weak minded individuals.

Zordon went to ask Alpha 5 for help contacting the rangers, but then realized that Alpha 5 was going through routine maintenance in the hidden base under the Command Center known as the Power Chamber. The automated system down there was working on him and Zordon knew that it was very important that he not get interrupted.

"Okay..." Zordon muttered to himself. "Let's contact the Power Rangers and-"

"No, Zordon." Zrin said, coming out of a portal followed by Burai-A. "You won't need to do that."

"Oh?" Zordon asked, confused as he turned to look at the two. "And is the reason for that the same reason you _and_ Burai are here? It's not everyday I get the pleasure of being visited by _two_ of you Hall of Legends folk..."

Burai-A smiled. It was interesting for him to be interacting with the being who _looked_ like a younger version of the Zordon he knew, with similar mannerisms, too. He was indeed different, though. The very _presence_ Zordon-B (how Burai-A knew to call him) felt different. He seemed more confident than Zordon-A. Calmer and more poised. Burai-A could sense why this Zordon was much more successful than his Temporal Twin. It was his Spirit.

"Yes, that is the reason," Burai-A stated. "You know that we don't try to interfere too much and-"

"Really?" Zordon asked, cocking an eyebrow as he looked around. "I could've sworn that my whole life has been manipulated by people like you, messing with Time and Space. I'm from the Nathadian Universe, I inherited my life from a past Timeline, and I'm stuck in a Time Warp. Yeah, you folk don't mess with me _at all_..."

 _Flashes of Zordon..._ Burai-A thought, seeing some of Zordon-A in that Zordon.

"Dad, please..." Zrin said. "We're going off the beaten path by doing this. We're going by the beat of a different drum now, you could say."

Zordon furrowed his brow. "What's caused such an emergency that merits September and the Guardian to call an audible?"

"There's a man named General McKnight," Zrin stated. "He-"

"Yeah, I've noticed him and some of his men in Angel Grove," Zordon said. "They seem to be doing some sort of government research here, but I don't know what."

"They've created something called Alphabet Soup, Dad," Zrin explained.

As those words hit Zordon's ears, Zrin staggered back as an explosion of Red Nathadian Magic erupted from his biological father. Burai-A instamorphed into the Ultra Green Ranger on instinct, unsure of what was happening. As Burai-A morphed, Zrin noticed the look on Zordon's face. One of his eyes had gone crossed and the other stared on, glazed over.

"What's happening!?" Ultra Green Ranger demanded over the loud sound of Red Magic literally crackling off of Zordon.

"I... I think he's having a vision!" Zrin yelled.

In the year 2050, Future: Omega Ranger tried as hard as he could to tap into Zordon's thoughts. Although he had never had a problem reading Zordon's mind up until that point in the Power Ranger Archives, he was having that problem right then and there. The Nathadian Magic was so strong that it was blocking the Time Force Cameras from being able to detect any of Zordon's thoughts.

"Alphabet Soup..." Zordon said, finally breaking out of his trance. "The Order of Meledon has given me a vision... I couldn't quite make sense of it, though. I mean... There were snippets of thoughts. The original members of the Order of Meledon themselves, back in the Nathadian Universe. They knew of Alphabet Soup. It's an evil secret. A plague, or oath. It's been passed down from generation to generation and it somehow came with... _Lothor_ from my home verse to this one. And now someone truly evil has it. Someone who calls himself Rex."

Zrin nodded slowly. "September and the Guardian have been completely unable to find out the identity of the person pulling the strings of Alphabet Soup. I'm extremely impressed that you were able to."

"The Order of Meledon is stronger than we thought..." Burai-A thought outloud. "We need to see if Zordon... the Zordon from _my_ Timeline... can achieve such a feat. That may be a tipping point for us in the Hall of Legends."

"So the United States government is being manipulated by someone who somehow has inherited the secrets of Alphabet Soup," Zordon stated, as a statement not only to the duo from the Hall of Legends but also as a recap for himself. "Got it. Well, I think it's time for me to confront them..."

"September knew through his reading of the Time Crystals that telling you about Alphabet Soup was important," Zrin stated. "But we couldn't have predicted _this_. Well, I'm getting a message from the Guardian right now. September feels that we've been here too long and we could be giving the Supreme hints about where we've been hiding the Hall of Legends."

"Then you'd better leave. Goodbye my son," Zordon said. "And let the Power protect you."

"Bye, Dad." Zrin replied as he turned and walked back to the Hall of Legends.

"You are a good man, Zordon," Ultra Green Ranger stated. "Your Timeline is lucky to have you. Oh, and I must mention to you this as well... it was me who took brief control of the Megazord."

Zordon looked down at the Power Coin in Burai-A's morpher. "Through your coin, right? Why?"

"Because September said I needed to help immediately. There are still fluxes of events going on in the universe that are influenced by people like Prime and the Ghost of Darkness. They do their feats to change the course of Time in their favor. We push back with our own interference," Ultra Green Ranger replied. "May the Power protect you, Zordon."

Zordon nodded to that as Burai-A followed Zrin. He then turned around and looked at the Viewing Globe in the Command Center. He could see the Power Rangers battling the Music Monster Rita had sent down. They had just morphed, and Zordon noted something... _peculiar_ about the Pink Ranger. She was _grey_.

"Now why is that...?" Zordon wondered.

Tapping into her Power Morpher via the Command Center, Zordon found two things. One was that his surge of Red Nathadian Magic had seeped into the Command Center. That surge of Magic had actually brought to light something he wouldn't have been able to see otherwise: Kimberly had been in the presence recently of someone _very_ saturated by Time Energy. It seemed as if the Time Energy was interacting with the surge of Nathadian Magic infused into her Morpher by Zordon and reacting oddly with the Pink Morphing Energy in her Power Coin. The result was her suit turning grey.

 _Now who has been speaking with my rangers with such vast amounts of Time Energy!?_ Zordon wondered. _What is happening around here!?_

With that anger fueling him, Zordon focused. He tapped his computer network by channeling his Red Magic from the Time Warp into the Command Center's computers. From there, he began searching all of Angel Grove. Computers, phone lines, anything he could. He searched and searched until his powers pinpointed the portable phone of one man. The man's name was General McKnight.

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B**_

"Hello?" McKnight asked, answering the phone.

"I am Zordon of Eltar. I-"

"What!? How did you-!?"

" _Silence_! I want you to know one thing, little Human. I run Angel Grove. This city belongs to me. I have been behind the founding of this city since the beginning. There is not one thing which escapes my gaze. Leave my Power Rangers _alone_... or else."

McKnight heard the connection end. His face was beet red. Fuming, he ordered his driver to steer him back to the epicenter of his project. He was taken to the Angel Grove Youth Center. Upon arriving, entering through the back entrance which had a thumbprint scanner, McKnight saw Kaplan entering the room from a side entrance.

"Hello General McKnight!" Kaplan exclaimed in surprise. "I just finished my shift as principal at Angel Grove and-"

"Show me the Power Rangers," McKnight stated succinctly.

"O...Okay," Kaplan answered, sensing the stress in his commander's voice.

McKnight watched as Dr. Kaplan turned the monitors on. In the Youth Center sat four of the rangers, drinking performance enhancing sodas given to them by Agent Ernie Finestein. McKnight saw the fifth (and youngest) ranger, Billy, dancing on the mats with a young deaf girl named Melissa. He was astounded to see Billy, who was the most physically awkward child in the entirety of Alphabet Soup, do some rather impressive dance moves.

"Is this a result of the drugs, Kaplan?" McKnight asked.

Kaplan was stunned. "I... I'd like to take full credit, but the drugs by themselves could not have possibly done all of this! It must be some side effect of becoming a Power Ranger!"

"So this... _Morphing Energy_ Rex told us about in that last memo must be what is amplifying the drugs. GA Rex will need to know about this," McKnight stated, thinking of how he could use this to their advantage.

"Sir, yes sir," Kaplan said. "And is this why you came down here, sir?"

"No..." McKnight answered, mind floating back to his words with Zordon. "I want you to focus more on those teens than ever before. But be... discreet. We have _enemies_ watching us. As long as everything you do... especially as the teens' _principal_ seems legitimate than I think you can continue your experiments. And a good side effect of this is we can also see to what extent Morphing Energy amplifies our enhancing drugs. Then perhaps we can make duplicate it for _all_ of our subjects."

"Sir, yes sir," Kaplan replied.

"On the subject of, well... our _subjects_ ," Started McKnight. "How is the recruiting going?"

"I have Richie Mendoza going right now to Stone Canyon. Three candidates there by the names of Adam Park, Rocky DeSantos, and Aisha Campbell are his targets.

"The man we chose as our Red Ranger, Tommy Oliver, got away by... _mysterious_ means. We're setting another ambush for him soon. I think Clark Fairweather is manning that project.

"I also have Dr. Harlen leading a team for another youth to enter our Think Tank. She slipped under the radar of our initial attempts, but we're rectifying that right now. He even has two of our Think Tank members with him there. We're testing them for field duty."

As Kaplan finished, McKnight nodded. "It is good. Keep up the outstanding work. I'll keep in touch."

As McKnight left, thoughts of his "conversation" with Zordon were still ringing in his mind. _How_ _dare_ _he speak to me in the manner he did!? This Zordon character is going to feel the wrath of the United States government! I don't care if SHIELD has him on a protected asset list. The moment he challenged my authority was the moment he signed his death wish!_

. . .

Alyssa Enrilé cried out in fright as several soldiers (in unmarked clothing so as not to be seen as members of the US government) ran onto the green lawn outside of her father's practice area to grab her. Her screams of panic echoed through the area as she narrowly dodged a shot from a taser gun.

"Don't let this be like how we missed the Oliver kid!" The Squad Leader warned.

As Alyssa rolled out of the way, she was relieved to see her father and several of his students standing in fighting stances. She quickly ran behind the hulk of a man her father was. Peaking behind one of his massive sized thighs, she could see the soldiers square off. She knew a fight was about to begin.

"You dare come here to the grounds of my dojo and threaten my family!?" Sensei Enrilé sneered, clenching his fist. "It is time for you to face me and my students! Get ready everyone! Let's show them how wrong they were in coming here! Let's show them the Enrilé Tiger Style!"

As they squared off, in a black van outside of the grounds of the dojo, Dr. Harlen sat. He was monitoring everything, marveling at what he was seeing. Alyssa seemed to be a grand candidate, with an _extremely_ high IQ, great motor neuron connections, and a very high connection to the Animal Spirit of the White Tiger. In the back of the van with him, monitoring things with a computer of their own were Rose and Mora.

"This is terrible!" Rose exclaimed. "That poor girl!"

"We can't worry about _her_ right now," Mora stated as she held Suzie Sunshine tightly. "They sent us out on this mission to see our _usefulness_. If we fail here, we'll _never_ get to see our parents!"

Rose sighed. "But... if we don't do something that little girl will end up just like us!"

Mora puckered her lips. "This isn't our problem. Now let's monitor her Animal Spirit like we were _told_."

"Mora... _please_!" Rose begged.

Mora looked at the monitor. Her brow was furrowed as she stared at the martial artists begin their attack on the soldiers. She knew she had a decision to make.

 _Help the girl... or myself?_ Mora wondered.

She turned and looked at Rose. The words which came out of Mora's mouth shocked and surprised Rose. They didn't shock Future: Omega Ranger, though. That indeed was the same girl he had met in his youth in the year 2025. He knew not how, for she was hardly any older in that year than she was during the file he was watching in 1993, but it was the same girl. The girl who tricked him, tried to turn him to the side of evil. The little girl who threatened to destroy him. The little girl who did all she could to help destroy Earth.

"I have to take care of _myself,_ " Mora said coldly. "Now if you don't want to get lobotomized by Alphabet Soup I suggest you, too, get your act in gear and start _working_. We have a little girl to capture."

. . .

 _ **Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B**_

Jason looked up at Zordon as he stood in the Command Center. "... and that's how it went down, Zordon."

"Thank you for that report, Jason," Zordon said. "You and the rangers did very well without my or Alpha's help. I am very proud of you."

"There was something else..." Jason started. "I don't think anyone else noticed it. Kim... her suit was going in and out from pink to grey during the fight. What's up with that?"

Zordon smiled. "You are very observant. A good quality for a leader. This was merely a flux in the Morphing Grid. Nothing more."

"So it's not something to worry about?" Jason asked.

Zordon shook his head. "No, it is not."

"Okay, then. Thank you Zordon. I'll see you tomorrow then... unless there's an attack today." Jason said as he teleported out.

Sighing, Zordon plopped down on the sand. _Jason is onto something. Who or_ _what_ _got in contact with Kimberly to have that Time Magic, or Energy or whatever, interact so strongly with my Red Magic and her Coin's Pink Morphing Energy? Should I had told Jason more? About my suspicions?_

Ugh... Half truths... am I really like that other Zordon? I... I hope not. That's what Saba was saying before I stormed off. Now? He's gone. Where

 _is_ _he!?_

Not too far off, on the other side of the massive sand dune near Zordon's location, Saba was huffing and puffing. It had taken him longer than he wanted, but he never gave up. He watched as his opponent fell to the sand face first. Saba had finally defeated the last of the Undead Warriors. He had finally earned the key to the Tribunal of Magic.

Bending over and picking it up, Saba sighed in relief. The key was finally his. Bleeding and tired, the cat from the Nathadian Universe wore a look of determination on his face. With the last ounce of strength he could muster, he began to drag himself forward. His goal: the doorway to the Tribunal of Magic. There, he would do all he could to sever Zordon's connection to the Order of Meledon.

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B**_

Kimberly sat at the dinner table. She was wearing her Sunday best, nervously playing with the napkin on the table. The man her mom had been dating had a very... _interesting_ look on his face. So did her mom. Something, maybe intuition, was telling Kim what that look meant. She was dreading the moment she just _knew_ was coming. Ever since her parents had gotten divorced, the thought of getting her mom getting married again rang in her mind. She was nearly certain that time had come.

The man looked over to Kim, beaming. There was something about him, though, that always rubbed Kim the wrong way. She assumed it was because she resented him for trying to replace her father, but Future: Omega Ranger actually thought it was more of her intuition. The reason behind that was because he, _too_ , had a bad feeling about him. Something about him felt off. Felt _wrong_. Typing away furiously, Omega tried to read the man's mind using the Time Force Cameras. Omega swallowed hard when he saw that he was blocked off. He could read massive amounts of Time Energy bouncing off the man. Omega knew right then and there that the man Ms. Ann was dating was the source of Kimberly's Time Energy saturation.

"Kimberly, honey..." Ms. Ann stated. "We have an announcement to make..."

Kim swallowed hard herself before putting on a brave face. "Oh, yeah? What?"

Pulling a ring out of his pocket and slipping it onto Ms. Ann's left hand ring finger, the man smiled. "We're getting married!"

"Wow!" She cried out, faking enthusiasm. "I'm so happy for you two! Congratulations!"

"We know it may be hard for you, but-" Her mom started.

"Don't worry about it!" Kim insisted, exaggerating her hand motions. "It's casual! I'm totally okay with this. I'm just happy for you!"

Future: Omega Ranger continued staring at the man. He was a clean shaven fellow, with short brown hair. He wore a denim button up shirt with slacks and khaki colored shoes. He seemed like a normal man, but... he knew better. He even looked a little familiar to Omega. At that, Omega began running facial recognition on the man against the files he had indexed up to that point for the Power Ranger Archives.

As the scan continued, the man smiled. "I'm glad you are taking this so well. Just... please remember I love your mother. I really want to be the best husband I can be to her."

"And I thank you so much for that!" Kim stated, trying to suffocate the screaming little girl inside of her who wanted to leap out of her, crying and gnashing her teeth in agony.

"Also, know that I am not trying to replace your dad," He said. "Don't ever feel like you need to call me 'Dad'."

Ms. Ann scoffed. "Well, _what_ is she _supposed_ to call you, Honey!?"

He smiled. "Just call me Uncle Steve."

As he stated that, the image recognition system in the Hall of Legends stopped. It had found a match. The man calling himself Uncle Steve was indeed a familiar face from earlier in the Power Ranger Archives. _Much_ earlier. Ten thousand years in the past earlier, actually. He had a shaved face in the year 1993, but it was definitely him. Sitting at Kimberly Ann Hart's dinner table, announcing that he was to marry the Pink Ranger's mother, was none other than Agent S, a Freelancer working for the Traveler.


	6. Chapter Six: Food Fight

**Chapter Six: Food Fight**

 ** _1993 AD - Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B_**

Saba sighed greatly when he found himself standing before the two doors. One he knew would lead to the Tribunal of Magic. The other would show him what he was told was his heart's desire. Not knowing which one led to the Tribunal and which was enchanted by Nathadian Magic, Saba decided to test his luck.

He opened the first door and frowned. In the view of the open door, on the other side, was an image of him sitting on a rug, curled up at the feet of a man he'd only remembered existed by seeing a few random holograms of: it was Laguna Loire, Zordon's biological father. As Laguna sat at his desk, working on some paperwork, Raine walked in.

"Hi, Honey. Something I can do for you?" Raine asked.

"Nah, I'm good," Laguna answered. "When does Squall come home from school?"

 _Squall... Zordon's birth name..._ Saba thought as he watched the scene, engrossed in this "what if" moment. _Had Zordon and I not been caught in the midst of September's life, this is the life we could've had..._

Raine shrugged. "I'm not sure. He has science club after school. He's then meeting with Dulcea for some history project."

That caused Laguna to chuckle. "Wow... Princess Dulcea is paired up with our little Squall!? That must be intimidating!"

"Well, you know Squall! He's not one to go all bashful." Raine replied, bending over to pet Saba.

"True, true..." Laguna stated. "Oh, by the way... have you heard what happened back East?"

Raine's face darkened. "I have... That's horrible how Lothor and his Morphing Masters have taken over the East Continent. King David and Prince Henry certainly have their hands full there..."

"Yes, they do." Laguna said, looking down sadly at the paperwork before him. "I'm actually working on a weapon for them. It's called the Dusk Morpher."

"The Power Ranger Project!?" Raine gasped. "I thought Prince Baelfire was completely against it!"

"He still is, but David and Mary vetoed his committee's decision," Laguna said sadly. "And Prince Will from the South Continent commissioned little old me to be the man from Research and Development to head the whole project."

"I would've thought that Hojo would've done that," Raine observed.

"Well, he's a little too abrasive for Will's tastes." Laguna said, smirking. "Those two together would not do well."

"Point taken..." Raine answered. "But isn't tapping into the Morphing Grid very dangerous?"

 _Stop this!_ Saba yelled in his mind, looking away. _Why is this so..._ _real_ _!? Is this really what my life would've been like... I would've been happy, but... it seems like the same mess would've followed me no matter_ _what_ _my life would've been like. Is everything just... eventual!? Is it my_ _fate_ _to be tied up in these messes!?_

Fuming, Saba turned his back on the life that would've been his. He then stepped forward and opened the door to the Tribunal of Magic's dimension. Sighing, he walked into the ooze of Magic pouring out from the door. He could feel it enveloping his every pore, coursing through him. He knew that he had entered into the Universal Magic Grid.

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B**_

"Up and up!" The young man named Rocky yelled.

Fellow Freshman Aisha jumped up and into air. She performed a front flip before setting a foot down onto Rocky's outstretched palm. Leaping up from the hand, using the momentum given to her from Rocky throwing his arms up, she sailed forward toward her target: Adam Park.

"Hi-yah!" Adam yelled, throwing a leg up and parrying Aisha's aerial kick.

"Nice!" Rocky cried out. "That's the move I was most worried about from Team Cobra. If we can make sure to block it like that, then we're _golden_ for this week's competition!"

Adam nodded. "Definitely! So, who wants to go next?"

Smiling, Aisha raised her hand. "I'll do it!"

"Okay, then I'll boost you up, okay Rocky?"

Rocky smirked. "You got it, Adam!"

Meanwhile, hidden from the three teens' view, Richie Mendoza stared at them. He was impressed with their teamwork, but their "goodie-good" nature was beginning to grind his nerves.

 _Seriously? McKnight wants_ _these_ _fools as rangers?_ Richie thought as he continued to observe them. _How does he expect me to be the red ranger of a team full of losers like_ _them_ _?_

Sighing, Richie shook his head. He figured that he'd just bide time, fulfilling McKnight's orders until he became the red ranger for Global Strike. His mindset was that once he became Red Ranger, he'd have more control over who was in the team. He then looked down and pulled a taser gun out from the holster on his belt. Fully confident in his martial arts abilities, he began to sneak forward to attack the trio chosen by Rex to be Earth's "true" Power Ranger team.

"I don't think so, kid." Nathadian Ranger said as he stepped into the realm via a Time Portal.

"Huh?" Richie asked in confusion as he quickly spun around.

It all happened faster than Richie could interpret. He caught a quick glimpse of Nathadian's black armor and red shining gem before Nathadian Ranger punched him, knocking him out cold.

"Zrin reporting in," Nathadian Ranger said. "Event dealt with and no incident occurred. Tell September that the three to be Power Rangers are safe for now."

And just as quickly as he arrived, Nathadian Ranger slipped away back into the Time Portal. Where he once stood only had one thing left: Richie's unconscious body. He lay there, unmoving. In his mind, though, was a nightmare. Rex and McKnight took the role of Red Ranger away from Richie, laughing and mocking him. Then, Richie's nightmare turned to something he couldn't comprehend: the image of Nathadian Ranger. He represented in Richie's mind some looming figure that he couldn't understand, but knew was manipulating events to ruin Richie's life. Something September had no way of predicting due to the way Time was flowing in Universe M54331Z-B because of his making it into the Time Anomaly Source was what had occurred: a seed had been planted in Richie's mind. A seed that gave him a deep, unconscious hate for Nathadian Ranger.

. . .

Sensei Enrilé's roars of fury echoed throughout the gardens outside his dojo. Massive currents of Animal Spirit flowed through the area, as well. The soldiers found themselves completely surprised by their inability to defend themselves from Enrilé's students. They were truly well trained in the art of using the Tiger Spirit.

In the van on the street, outside the dojo, Mora frowned. "We're losing... _badly_."

Rose Ortiz sat in silence. Ever since she had been brought into Alphabet Soup, Mora had been her best friend. The two had gotten very close, becoming a duo that was so obvious that Dr. Harlen knew if he chose one for a project, the other would be a given to be in the project as well. After the recent events, though, when Mora flat out told Rose that when push came to shove that Mora would save herself over trying to help poor, young Alyssa Enrilé that Mora would pick herself. Rose thought herself to be more... _generous_ than that.

 _Good guys fight for the defenseless._ _Bad guys_ _fight for themselves._ Rose thought with determination as she continued to watch the violence on the computer screen before her. _But... what about me?_ _I'm_ _defenseless. How can someone who can't even protect herself think to help someone else!?_

"Mora! Send one of your drawings out there to destroy those ninjas!" Dr. Harlen ordered suddenly.

Mora swallowed hard. "Yuh... yes, Doctor."

Rose furrowed her brow as she watched her supposed best friend begin to pull out her crayons to draw. Her mind began racing with ideas, trying to figure out what she could do to save little Alyssa from being tormented by Alphabet Soup like countless other children had been forced to. As she tried to think of a plan, though, Mora had already begun drawing.

 _Maybe I shouldn't do this...?_ Mora thought. _Maybe I can make the Monster flawed?_

The thought lingered in Mora's mind. A part of her wanted to make Rose, mostly, happy. She could tell just by Rose's body language in that van how much Rose was unhappy with her. Another part, though, couldn't help but think what would be best for Mora in the long term. Making her decision, Mora put the last touch on her Monster.

 _He's_ _perfect_ _._ Mora thought to herself. _I'm sorry Rose... I only hope that, with time, you can realize that I'm also looking out for_ _you_ _. This is the best for our_ _future_ _..._

"Excellent!" Harlen said as he grabbed the paper from off the table. "Rose? Continue monitoring the situation and graphing the energy discharges. And watch as Mora's Monster gets us our newest Alphabet Soup recruit!"

Rose gasped as Harlen tossed the glowing paper out the van window. It was shimmering with Magic, ready to burst to life. As it did, a black and blue fog seemed to hover around it momentarily. Before the paper had any chance to give birth to the monstrosity from Mora's mind the black and blue mist Future: Omega Ranger recognized as Zocato power, a power that acts as a virus toward any and all Magic, completely destroyed the paper.

"What!?" Harlen wailed. "What happened!?"

"I... I don't know!" Mora said, shocked.

Rose did all she could to hide a smile. She knew not how. She knew not why. All she knew was that by some miracle the little girl Alyssa wasn't going to be caught. That thought was further embedded into Rose's mind when she saw that Sensei Enrilé and his students had sent the last of the soldier packing.

"Ugh! We don't have time now," Harlen lamented. "Driver!? Get us as far away from here as possible! I don't want anyone seeing us and tying us back to GA Rex!"

As the van peeled away quickly, carrying a frustrated Harlen, a confused Mora, and an ecstatic Rose, a figure stood afar off in the shadows. He wore armor exactly like Nathadian Ranger, though the colors were inverted: red armor with a black gem in the chest. The black gem housed vast amounts of Zocato power, whereas the red gem of the Nathadian Ranger housed Nathadian Red Magic. Staring off through his helmet's visor, Zocato Ranger sighed.

"The deed is done," The voice of Orion-A said to the Hall of Legends. "The future White Ranger has been saved from this attack. I'm returning home now."

And just like Zrin had done, Orion-A slipped back from Universe M54331Z-B and into the Hall of Legends.

. . .

McKnight sat at his desk, angry. Standing before him was Dr. Kaplan, who not only could feel McKnight's anger but also _see_ it on his face. What Kaplan knew not was that McKnight was so angry, the aura of Red Magic was near visible to even the likes of a lowly Human like him.

"Things have not been going well for Alphabet Soup," McKnight said. "I've tried to recruit some people for my Ranger project recently, but _someone_ has been stopping me."

Kaplan stared, wide eyed. "Really!? Who?"

"Zordon..." McKnight assumed erroneously, not knowing of the existence of the Hall of Legends. "And to get back at him, I am going to need _your_ help."

"Wha... what do you want me to do, sir!?" Kaplan asked, frightened at the concept of having to go against Zordon's orders to leave him and his rangers alone.

"Put some things in the food of the rangers, but... make it untraceable," McKnight ordered. "I have already had some agents pass around flyers for an 'international feast' at the end of the week at Agent Finestein's Youth Center. Using some of Dr. Phenomenus' research, I have had Dr. Harlen make a formula that you will slip into the food there. Only those with great connections to Morphing Energy, though, will be affected by it."

Kaplan furrowed his brow. "What... what will it do, sir?"

McKnight smiled slowly. "You'll see..."

. . .

Ernie was walking around, observing everything going on at the food festival he had been asked to throw. He was at that point still confused about why Kaplan and McKnight had put the party together, but he knew it had to be nothing good. The only thing he knew, though, was that it _had_ to be something _bad_.

As he ordered Bulk and Skull to help him with some cream pies (secretly hoping that it would lead to them somehow having the pies crash into their faces), Ernie saw Dr. Kaplan posing as the well intentioned principal of Angel Grove High approach Trini Kwan and Kimberly Hart. Two of the teens known to Alphabet Soup as being members of Zordon's Power Rangers.

It disgusted Ernie to see Kaplan acting so nicely to the teens. He then thought about how _he_ must've looked when he played with the power teens. Just as Kaplan put on a good face when he actually was doing nefarious things to the teens, that's _exactly_ what Ernie was doing.

Ernie sighed as he walked, a hula clad woman at each side. They were in secret, agents McKnight had sent down to watch over the festivities. To Ernie, though, they were just more visual signs to him that he wasn't doing what he knew was right deep in his heart. Regardless of what "his country" wanted him to do, those were kids and they were being taken advantage of. Deep down inside... Ernie knew that he was a villain.

A few moments later, and the festival had officially begun. The food was being distributed, just as Kaplan wanted. Laced in all of the food was some chemical concoction that would never be traced back to him. A concoction that was going to do... _something_ to the Power Rangers. Kaplan just needed to ensure that the rangers actually _ate_ the food. He went over to them, planning to get some food but then trick the rangers into eating some themselves. As he was about to do his dirty deed, however, he felt something whiz by the top of his head. It was a cream pie, thrown by Bulk. It had missed its target slightly, whipping off Kaplan's toupee instead of hitting him in the face. That pie happened to land, instead, right on Eugene Skullovitch's face. Taking a moment to process, Skull could think of only one thing to say.

" _Food fight_!"

The chaos that ensued was tremendous. As Kaplan fished his toupee out of a punch bowl, he watched as Bulk and Skull led the food fight. All of the food, the food specifically placed there with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ranger harming chemicals... gone. Kaplan was very, very upset.

As he continued to watch, he saw the two people who were egging Bulk and Skull on: Monroe "Sharkie" Francis and Charles "Dreads" Simpson. Instantly Kaplan diverted his anger towards the two. Subconsciously, Kaplan didn't want to place all of the blame on Bulk and Skull. He had been working hard on devising a little system for the two to study them. If he got rid of them for this incident, all of that work went to waste. As for Sharkie and Dreads, however?

 _Those two will rue the day they messed with Alphabet Soup!_ Kaplan thought as he ducked away for a moment.

"Richie?" Kaplan said into his communication device.

"Speaking," Agent Mendoza replied.

"Do you know Sharkie Francis and Dreads Simpson?"

"Yes. Francis is a math whiz and Dreads is an all star athlete."

"Well, they have ruined a very important mission. I need you to... make sure they never do such a thing again," Kaplan stated.

There was a short pause before Richie replied. "Understood. Mendoza out."

Kaplan looked at Dreads and Sharkie. _Enjoy this food fight, you two. This will be the_ _last_ _thing you_ _ever_ _enjoy..._

. . .

"Yes, that should do! Now let's see..."

Finster toiled away at the Monster Goldar had asked him to create. He thought Goldar's master plan to have a Monster eat all of Earth's cars was infantile at best, but he usually kept those opinions to himself. He knew his role was to offer all the help to his leaders that he could. He definitely didn't want to face Rita's wrath for disobedience, or worse yet... Dark Specter himself.

As he worked, he suddenly heard Rita's voice echoing through the halls from the balcony. "Finster! I want you to make me a Monster. But not your usual. This has to be special."

Finster was hurt by the statement as he looked down at the Monster he was still making for Goldar. " _All_ my Monsters are special-"

"Argh!" Rita growled in anger as a response.

"Oh, sorry my queen..." Finster said, backing down before she zapped him.

"I want a Pudgy Pig!" The Witch declared.

Finster sighed in his soul. "I have a Pudgy Pig, my queen, but it's not my best work."

"Then _make_ it your best!" Rita ordered.

Finster dug the clay model of the beast from the bottom pile. He made some hasty upgrades to it as Rita yelled instructions at him. He made it a little stronger than before, and greatly increased its appetite. Finster felt bad, though, that he didn't have time to increase its intelligence or fix the gastrointestinal issue the Pig had with spicy foods. Shrugging it off due to Rita's incessant need to have the Monster done quickly, Finster threw it into the Monster-Matic.

 _And once Pudgy Pig eats all the food on Earth, then nothing will stop me from... getting Zordon's artifacts?_ Rita thought.

The cloud of Red Rage muddling her thoughts caused her great frustration. She was no longer able to focus on her tasks as she had done in the past. She found herself flip flopping constantly due to the effects of Zedd's spell on her. Ignoring that, she just smiled to herself as Pudgy Pig came out of the Monster-Matic. He was ready to eat _everything_...

. . .

Kaplan watched as Zach egged on the massive Bulk. He watched as Bulk charged forward to hit Zach. He watched as Zach stepped out of the way. He watched as Bulk hit a table behind Zach. He watched as the forward momentum carried Bulk across the table. He watched as Bulk hit a punch bowl. He watched as the punch from that bowl flew forward and fell all over him.

"That... is... _it_!" Kaplan cried out, causing everyone to stop in their tracks. Oh! Look at this mess! Our food festival is ruined!"

Then, thinking quickly on how he could make it into a problem for the ranger teens, he pointed at Jason. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

 _Huh? What did I do?_ Jason thought.

"I only hope we have enough money to pay for the playground equipment!" Kaplan yelled in anger.

"Mr. Kaplan-" Jason started.

"Oh, I don't want to hear any excuses!" Kaplan roared. "Here! You're in charge of the clean up!"

As he tossed a broom at Jason, he turned and stormed out of the room. _Now to figure out how to capitalize on what I just did... Maybe I can make a vapor of the remnants of the chemical to affect them? Will it still even work in vapor form?_

As he got into his backroom, Kaplan noticed some sensors going off on his console. Plopping down on his chair, he pushed some buttons to see what the matter was. He sighed when he saw it: the power teens had teleported out of the building.

 _Ugh... Well at least I can punish them for not getting the place cleaned up._ Thought Kaplan. _Then I can still go to McKnight saying I did_ _something_ _to that group. I guess that's better than nothing, right?_

. . .

In the Command Center, Jason and his team stared at the Viewing Globe. They were disgusted by what they were seeing: Pudgy Pig going from place to place, eating all the food that he could. Via his communication tube, Zordon watched them all. He explained to them that, within forty-eight hours, the Pudgy Pig would eat all of the food on the planet.

 _I just need to get that thing distracted..._ Zordon thought. _As long as he is distracted he'll forget his hunger and focus on fighting the rangers. According to what I'm feeling from the Order of Meledon and what the scanners of the Command Center are showing me, this thing's as dumb as a rock..._

That's when Alpha 5 appeared. He was wearing a chef's hat, holding an egg beater in one hand, and a wooden stirring spoon in another. He began offering the teens to help with their food festival.

 _What!?_ Zordon thought angrily. _How could he have not seen what's been going on!? I know he just came back online only ten minutes ago from hibernation mode, but is he_ _really_ _so oblivious that he didn't hear the Monster Alarm!? Or just_ _look_ _at the fact the teens are watching the Viewing Globe!? I need to get a hold of Lexian to see if he can spare any help in upgrading him. Immature or not, I need_ _some_ _competence! Argh! This is all Prime's fault! Had he not attacked Alpha..._

No use dwelling in the past! There's a pig to stop.

Still irritated with his robotic assistant, the British sounding modulation of Zordon's voice echoed through the Command Center. " _Later_ , Alpha. Our Power Rangers have work to do. I wish you luck."

"Guys?" Jason asked, looking around and reaching back for his morpher. "It's morphin' time."

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactly!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

Zordon watched as the rangers were teleported to the heart of downtown Angel Grove. That in and of itself was terrifying Zordon. Outside of Rita's initial attack on the city, Zordon couldn't think of a Monster that had attacked anything but the Abandoned Warehouse District. Zordon knew that Rita specifically wanted his artifacts which he hid in that area, but also knew the power of holding a city hostage. He and Nick Fury, in the past few weeks since Rita had been released from the Space Dumpster, had worked together in making perimeter defenses for Angle Grove's downtown area. Special force fields were put into place to prevent a Monster from directly teleporting into the city, while air strikers and other armed force groups were constantly around the city. They were always on duty in case a giant Monster ever tried to move downtown during a megazord battle. Seeing a Monster get past SHIELD's defenses, though, worried Zordon.

As the rangers fought, Zordon thought on that. _Rita must have teleported him outside of the city and had him simply walk past the perimeter. But how!?_

Doing a quick scan, Zordon found out how: Pudgy Pig had _eaten_ his way not only past a fence, but the evidence suggested that he _ate_ some SHIELD officers as well. Sighing at that, he sent a quick message using the Command Center's interface with Angel Grove to Nick Fury's office telling him what he found.

 _At least this one won't get Fury yelling at me._ Thought Zordon. _This is all on him. He needs to strengthen the city's defenses._

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!" Alpha 5 cried out. "Look Zordon!"

Staring using the tube, Zordon looked at the Viewing Globe. He could see that Pudgy Pig had eaten the Power Weapons. As he gulped down Jason's Power Sword, he could sense the Green Energy, the physical manifestation of the rangers' Willpower, begin to fade. They knew how important the Power Weapons were, and they knew they had lost them. They each felt like failures.

"Alpha? See if you can teleport the weapons out of Pudgy Pig and- Rangers!"

Zordon watched as Pudgy Pig unleashed an attack he had no idea the horrible Monster could do: a kaleidoscope of Morphing Energy shot out from its eyes. It not only scrambled the Morphing Energy coming from the rangers' morphers. As they were caught in the power surge, Pudgy Pig himself turned and ran off. He was insatiably hungry, and the rangers were no longer a distraction for him. He was on the prowl yet again fro more food. All the while Alpha 5 tried to get the rangers out of the vortex of Morphing Energy. With every passing minute they were trapped in there, Zordon was worried. He had never seen an attack be able to put Morphing Energy in such a stasis. He worried that Rita's Monsters were getting exponentially stronger.

Zordon then had an idea: Perhaps he couldn't get the rangers our of the vortex, but maybe _reroute_ the Morphing Energy in there. Focusing, he began causing the morphing energy fluxing through the Power Morphers to be routed through their communicators instead. Once it had finished interacting with their communicators, they were teleported away from the battle.

Zordon, checking on Pudgy Pig's current whereabouts, sighed as he tapped Jason's communicator. "Power Rangers? While you were caught in the pig's vortex, he found his way into your food festival and is causing chaos."

"What!?" Kim and Trini gasped.

"Oh, no..." Jason said, shocked as he looked at his team.

Seeing that Zordon had teleported them to the park directly behind the Youth Center, Jason told his team to follow him. They sprinted as quickly as they could. Jason's mind was reeling, hoping there weren't any people in the Youth Center who the pig would hurt. Or worse yet... _eat_.

All the while, Kaplan studied the Pudgy Pig in awe as he saw it run about the food festival. He had let it gain entry, although he had more secret guns and lasers hidden around the facility than he cared to admit that could have dealt with the beast rather easily in his opinion. He noted how Pudgy Pig did not seem to care about any of the people in attendance. He really only wanted to eat the _food_ , it seemed.

Kaplan then learned something _else_ about Pudgy Pig: it only cared about Humans if they got in his way. Lo and behold, as he was rushing about trying to devour the whole festival, he ran into Bulk and Skull. Kaplan cringed when they first ran into each other, but then stared on in fascination. Not only did Bulk and Skull not run away in terror, but Bulk began to _taunt_ Pudgy Pig by lifting up his own noise and squealing.

"Fascinating!" Kaplan declared.

He stared on as the two teens laughed. He noted that Sharkie and Dreads were absent from the scene, and wondered if they had fled or if Richie had already... _taken care of them_. Pudgy Pig, at that point, didn't seem to find the situation amusing. He roared at the two, causing them to promptly yell and turn tail. As he did, Ernie and the two agents ran away as well, though Ernie did so that he could run to the back and grab some weapons.

"So what?" Kaplan asked himself as Ernie rushed in. "Did he not _look_ intimidating? Is that where that burst of bravery came from? Bulk has already taken on Jason in a physical manner in the past... Is it the opponent's own confidence that gives Bulk the idea that he can be superior to them?

"Well..." Ernie said, losing himself in Kaplan's reasoning and forgetting what was occurring for a moment. "Jason was already pretty bummed about the bench press thing. Maybe Bulk saw that and decided subconsciously that was evidence that he was better than Jason. Maybe that's why he picked on him that day?"

"Good observation!" Kaplan declared, making note of that in his notepad.

"What am I saying!?" Ernie yelped. "There are kids out there who are being attacked by a _giant pig_!"

"They aren't 'kids'," Kaplan replied coldly. "They're members of Alphabet Soup. They're our _test subjects_..."

"That thing could seriously hurt someone! Give me a gun! Let me take him out!"

"No!" Kaplan ordered. "Stand down! I want to see where this goes..."

Before he finished his sentence, however, Pudgy Pig had eaten his full and had teleported away. Everyone had fled from the building during that time. Except for five people. Instead of running away from the building, these five had run _into_ the building. They were Jason, Billy, Kimberly, Zach, and Trini.

Kaplan watched intently as the teens mourned the loss of all of the food for the festival. He found it very interesting that although they were Power Rangers, fighting galactic enemies coming down to invade the planet, the small things in their personal lives still mattered just as much. Kaplan made a note to himself on that. His mind was beginning to churn, ideas about how to test the rangers' limits. Where was the line drawn between caring about the day to day normal things of being a high school student, and being quite literally superheroes. Kaplan was beginning to become determined to find out where that line was drawn.

That's when something _amazing_ happened. As the teens were complaining that Pudgy Pig had eaten their weapons, Ms. Trini Kwan made a very interesting observation.

"Hey, wait a minute..." She said. "Do you guys see what I see? Come on!"

She rushed off, her team following her to a table of completely untouched food. Even Billy seemed perplexed by what Trini was insinuating.

"Look around," Trini continued. "That pig ate _everything_ in sight. But he didn't even _touch_ the hot stuff."

"Obviously he doesn't like spicy food," Kim stated dismissively.

That's when the light went off in Billy's head. "Yeah, but we could use that information to defeat the Monster."

"Well how do you figure that?" Zach asked, confused.

"Well..." Billy started, ideas popping into his head. "Why not lure the animal with food? After we stick a piece of the spicy radish root inside."

"Morphenomenal idea, Billy," Kim declared, astounded.

Kaplan nodded slowly from the back room as he watched. "'Morphenomenal', indeed... These youngsters are brilliant. Zordon chose very, very well with these rangers. I... I must continue studying them. Whatever McKnight wanted me to do to them would be foolish. We have so much to learn from these five. So much they could teach us so that we ensure our own ranger team will be even better than _them_. Global Strike is coming, and through my research of these teens' abilities, I will make sure Global Strike will be _unstoppable_..."

. . .

Zordon was impressed with his team. He watched as the Power Rangers set the trap up. Bringing some food they found behind Ernie's counter Pudgy Pig missed, they continually fed the beast food before introducing spicy food into system. It reacted exactly as Trini and Billy had predicted: he hadn't finished digesting their weapons and they were vomited out. After that, they simply grabbed their Power Weapons and formed the Power Blaster, destroying the weak and stupid beast before he could do anymore damage.

 _These youngsters are brilliant._ Zordon thought. _I chose very well with them. They have so much to learn, though. So much still that I can teach them so that we ensure our own ranger team will be even better than anything Rita will throw at us. Dark Specter is coming, but through my team's abilities, I will make sure Earth will be_ _unstoppable_ _..._

. . .

Goldar sat in the Dark Dimension. As he did, he continued to work hard on the Time Device. It had been days since he had left. He had told Rita that after failing her when he had fought alongside his brother that he needed to go do some training on his own. She knew not that he was, in fact, not practicing to take on the rangers. He was building his device to not only overthrow _her_ , but overthrow Dark Specter himself.

 _With the tips Finster unknowingly gave me,_ Goldar thought. _I will be able to get this thing finished soon! I will go back in time and make the universe kneel before me, King Goldar!_

. . .

As Jason and the team walked from the park they had teleported to once again to the Youth Center, he looked to his team. "So, did you see how we took that pig down in one shot!? He didn't even grow!"

"It was truly spectacular!" Billy announced.

"Yeah, and I think it's because we actually pronounced the right names of our weapons this time..." Jason said, smirking.

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Jason?"

"You know what Zordon always says: 'do things in the right order'," Jason stated. "Instead of 'Cosmic Cannon', _Zach_ , it's 'Power Axe'."

"But didn't the names having alliterations _sound_ better in our last battle?" Zach asked. "I mean, you were the one who agreed with it in our last practice session, Jase."

"Well, yeah," Jason agreed. " _But_ we blasted him and he wasn't destroyed. We just knocked him out. Rita was still able to make that troll... music... _thing_ grow. I think because we actually said the right names this time, it was a one hit K.O."

Trini nodded. "Well, it was a good learning experience, right? We all learned from the past, now we just know not to do that again in the future!"

Zach plastered a devious look onto his face. "So you're saying that we need to say everything the right way from now on, right?"

Jason furrowed his brow, realizing his best friend was about to say something that was probably going to take a jab at someone. "Right..."

"So, Jason... what's the name of the Megazord's sword?" Zach asked, flashing Jason a wide smile. "Is it Power Sword or Mega Sword?"

Jason blushed, remembering that he had called it the wrong name during their last battle. "Aw, c'mon! That troll thing kept turning into boulders and buildings and stuff! I got confused!"

"But you're our fearless leader!" Zach said as a rebuttal. "We need you to lead us with good examples!"

Jason just laughed at that. "Okay, okay... I'll do better..."

Zach then changed the subject to be about how great they did, not wanting to leave the conversation on his joke. As they laughed and patted each other on the back, they made their way into the Youth Center. That's when they realized they hadn't yet cleaned the place up.

Kaplan watched, surprised to see them there so soon after the battle, as they spoke about how sad they were the festival hadn't worked. _Wow... I wasn't even going to hold them accountable for it anymore. Their sense of responsibility is noble, but I fear for them. They will undoubtedly get to the point when they can't do this anymore. They can't maintain a lifestyle of perfection in their personal lives while trying to be the Power Rangers. It's unhealthy! And you know what? I will do all I can to find the limits. Through them, I will see how far a person can be pushed before they can't take it anymore. Then Alphabet Soup will know what the limits of Global Strike will be..._

Kaplan then decided to meet with the rangers. Sneaking around the back, he entered into the room from its normal entrance. As he did, he received apologies from the rangers for everything that had occurred. Still being impressed with their resolve during and after the battle, he decided to let things go. He even lied to them, saying they made enough money for the playground equipment McKnight had promised Angel Grove he would give after the fundraiser. Kaplan figured it would help keep up appearances, but somewhere deep in his subconscious he knew that he was slowly growing a soft spot for the five teenagers.

That was when Kaplan was given an opportunity to eat a sandwich from the teens. He knew that it had been the one Alpha 5 had sent them, but he didn't know one thing: Alpha 5 had been doing separate research on Pudgy Pig, trying to scan him and find a weakness. Not knowing the teens had already beaten the ravenous menace, he had made some very spicy subs. He sent the teens those subs after finding out Pudgy Pig was no more, in hopes of the food being sold to help fund the playground equipment. Kaplan knew not the sub he'd eaten was in fact the spicy one.

It was uncomfortable for him, but no overbearing. He had a thought at that moment, though: he needed to look like a bumbler. He needed to get on the rangers' good side. The dumber he looked in front of them, the less likely they would suspect him of any wrong doing. He began overreacting to the heat, asking for water that he promptly poured over himself, causing his toupee to fall off once again. He and the teens began laughing at that, with Kaplan knowing all the while that his plan was working. The next step was simple: place obstacles in their path and see how hard he could push them. He was going to slowly test their limits, and do all he could to serve his country.

. . .

Dreads walked slowly through the forest, Sharkie following behind him and Richie trailing the two. "Dude, man. Are you _sure_ you found the Power Rangers' headquarters out here?"

Sharkie sighed as she ducked under a tree branch. "Yeah, I mean... are you _sure_?"

Richie smiled and nodded. "Oh, yeah! I figured that I needed some witnesses, though, so people would believe me. Imagine how much the news will pay us for this info!"

"Yeah, you're right..." Dreads stated, smiling. "This is gonna be off the hook!"

"I can't wait for my own episode of 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'!" Sharkie said, starry eyed.

Richie slowed down at that point. As the two got farther and farther from him, he slowly pulled a gun out behind him. He had a hoodie wrapped around his waist, concealing the gun which had been tucked into the back of his jeans all along. He then pointed the gun at the back of Sharkie's head.

"Yeah, Monroe..." Richie said, still smiling. "I'm sure your episode will be a must see..."

He then pulled the trigger.


	7. Chapter Seven: Big Sisters

**Chapter Seven: Big Sisters**

 _ **2050 AD - Hall of Legends**_

Sophie's voice echoed through the Hall of Legends. "So... what's up, Sam? I'm a little concerned."

Future: Omega Ranger furrowed his brow as he continued typing. "What is it?"

"Well, you've been feverishly going through this indexing project for the past half day without stopping, but I haven't seen any footage playing for the past thirty minutes. What caused you to take a break?"

Sighing, Omega continued typing. "Well, I had a thought as I was indexing. I mean, what I have been doing was indexing what the Time Force Cameras have available for me. Then I realized that it was very likely that I have been 'double dipping'."

"What do you mean by that?" Sophie asked from her ship orbiting around the sequestered planet Earth.

"I wondered whether or not what I was indexing already had a good chunk of it indexed by someone else," Omega stated. "Just like you, I know I had seen a lot of footage from past ranger teams via Tommy Oliver's personal archives, as a young SPD cadet. If SPD has that footage archived, why should I bother archiving it a _second_ time?"

"I think I see where you're going with this..." Sophie stated. "You're wanting to get through the events faster by skipping what's already been archived, right?"

"Correct." Sam said as he continued to type. "So what I'm doing to fix that is creating an algorithm that will automatically skip over anything that has already been indexed by anyone in the Archives. Only if I feel like something _needs_ to be put in for reference will that go into _my_ index, but I will have to manually override the system."

"Sounds good to me," Sophie said. "I actually have every file indexed in some part of my memory databanks, so I personally won't have a problem keeping up."

"Alright," Future: Omega Ranger stated. "Then since each file will be a lot smaller than they have been up to this point, I'm going to try and cram three 'events' into one file. This upcoming file seems to be on the Power Eggs, though, so I'll devote one file to it. After this file, though, I will be doing three events per file. It should help us get through Cruger's task for us a lot quicker and hopefully get me in contact with him."

"Oh no..." Sophie gasped suddenly. "Leslie just morphed and ran out onto the Moon."

"What!?" Omega asked, concerned. "Why!?"

"I'm going to patch my outer sensors through to your Chrono Workstation," Sophie said. "You should be able to watch through that tap into my network then. It's... _bad_."

Future: Omega Ranger watched as he suddenly saw the Gold SPD Ranger on the Moon, battling what looked to be a group of Watchers on the Moon. The scene was completely confusing to him. He noted that the SPD Ranger with the Roman numeral for ten on her chest was exhausting herself as she fought, unable to overpower the half dozen suited agents. Focusing, he was able to find a reference point for why that battle seemed to be happening: being carried away, seemingly unconscious, wat noneother than Rip Hunter.

Omega gasped. "Oh, no! You gotta do something!"

"I can't!" Sophie yelled, watching from her ship helplessly. "If I go out I will need to completely disconnect. The firewall keeping you in the Hall has gotten so strong with me trying to break you out that if I log out now, there will be no way I can contact you again."

Sam sat there for a moment. On one hand, he felt that Leslie would definitely be able to use the help. On the other, he felt that his probability of escaping the Hall or even knowing what was going on in the universe at large would be gone without Sophie. He then remembered all of what he had seen from the Watchers. How powerful they were, and how little the Cyborg SPD Ranger would do to affect the battle.

"Yeah..." Omega finally said. "You're right. You should stay..."

Suddenly, one of the Watchers opened up a Time Door. Sam and Sophie watched as Rip was taken into the Time Door, followed by four of the other Watchers. The fifth Watcher, who Sam had the Hall of Legends cross reference for him to remind him that he was named March, breathed in deeply. A moment later, after quickly unleashing a brutal kick, SPD Gold was down on the ground after the attack hit her in the head.

"Leslie!" Sophie screamed.

"She'll be okay..." Future: Omega Ranger stated, looking at the readings the ship's systems were showing on the image he had been tapped into. "She's just knocked out."

"But he's gonna-" Sophie started.

Before she could finish her sentence, March turned around and walked away. Within moments he vanished into his Time Door. They had no way of tracking him.

"Just teleport her back to the ship and let me know how she progresses." Sam stated slowly, beginning to type. "I'm gonna try and get through this quickly so we can get to the bottom of this whole thing. I'm going to do all I can to end this war before we lose anyone else. Hang tight, Rip... hang tight..."

. . .

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B**_

General McKnight watched intently as Harlan worked hard. He was angry with Zordon of Eltar, and he wanted to get back at him where it hurt... while staying under the radar.

"How much longer?" McKnight asked.

"Almost done, sir," Harlan answered. "Soon that spot of energy outside of Angel Grove will be completely cut off from the rest of the city!"

"Good..." McKnight answered. "And then Zordon will be cut off from his rangers. He thinks he can threaten me, a US General!? I may not have been able to... _hurt_ his rangers like I wanted to before, but not much he can do for them if he can't _contact_ them!"

"Yeah, and then maybe we could even kidnap them if Zordon is out of the way, sir," Harlan suggested.

McKnight furrowed his brow. "Huh? What do you mean by that!?"

"Well... Instead of trying to capture other teens for Global Strike, maybe we could just capture Zordon's power team and use _them_ for Global Strike...?" Harlan answered.

Smiling widely, McKnight nodded. "I had honestly never thought of that... Harlan, you're a genius. I knew there was a reason I kept you around! Yes... I could _definitely_ see Jason as my Red Ranger... That will be _perfect_!"

"And done, sir," Harlan announced. "The Command Center is incommunicado."

"Perfect," McKnight answered. "Then let's prepare to get for ourselves a Power Ranger team..."

. . .

Rita sat in her room, Goldar and Finster on either side of her. She was on her bed, eyes closed as she concentrated on the Blue Magic flowing through her. Goldar was uncomfortable, not knowing why she had called both him and Finster into her private chambers if she was only going to meditate.

Finster spoke at that moment, answering unknowingly Goldar's question of their purpose in the room. "Oh, I've seen this before! It's an old Edenite ritual. It is said if one is able to focus and meditate enough, surrounded by two powerful people, that they can amplify their _own_ power. Commander Scorpius used to do this whenever he needed extra help in coming up with battle plans for the United Alliance!"

"Hmm... correct, Finster..." Rita said calmly.

Goldar sneered. "This will not affect _me_ , will it?"

"Oh, no. Well... it shouldn't," Finster replied. "It depends on what Rita is doing right now."

"I am trying to... find... the Power Eggs..." Rita said, going in and out of her trance.

Finster nodded slowly. He had heard in his time in Bansheera's forces that she herself had a certain obsession with the Power Eggs, though she didn't like to speak about it to anyone but Maligore if she could help it. The Power Eggs were placed in the ocean eons ago, unable to be accessed by her due to two spells: one on the waters of Earth to cause any Demon to attract the salt (which Demons are allergic to) in the waters to them to harm them if they enter said waters; a second spell on the Eggs themselves, to prevent anyone who is not pure of intent to touch them. The same spell had been placed by Dulcea and Sentinel Knight thousands of years earlier on the Zeo Crystal, resulting in the creation of Lord Zedd. Rita knew of both of those spells on the Power Eggs, but a sudden stroke of genius (along with a bout of desperation to defeat Zordon) had caused her to decide that the Power Eggs may indeed be a viable option.

Neither she nor anyone else in her gang knew the true potential of the Power Eggs and how important they were on a multiversal scale. They knew not of Lothor and his plans or his recent ascension to activity within Emperor Mavro's ranks. They knew not of the plans to be able to become the God of Magic, or the fact that the Power Eggs could grant _any_ wish unto those who were able to get them. All Rita knew for sure was that they had a "universe of power" within them, and she wanted that power.

"Agh!" Goldar and Finster yelled as they felt their essence ripped from them.

"Yes..." Rita said as their Spirit Energy amplified her search. "I... I _found_ them..."

Goldar let out a long breath. "I am... _glad_ my Empress..."

"Then let us prepare, your evilness!" Finster declared. "The Power Eggs shall be yours!"

"Where are they?" Goldar asked, getting to the point.

"Interesting place..." Rita said. "Apparently Zordon no longer fears Demons. I can't blame him. The only active one we know of is Dark Specter himself. It seems he moved the Power Eggs to a cave on the coast of Angel Grove itself. It is masked by strong technology and Magic, but thanks to your essenses I was able to peer through Zordon's veil and _find it_."

"Let's go, then!" Finster insisted a second time. "We will crush Zordon for sure!"

. . .

"Ay-yi-yi!" Alpha 5 declared. "I still can't get through to anyone in the outside world!"

Zordon stared up at the hologram showing him the interior of his Command Center. Never in the thousands of years that he had been on Earth had he felt so powerless. And that was saying a lot about a man who had been stuck in a Time Warp, unable to protect the universe in a personal way. He could feel the tension bunching up in his shoulders, his fist clenched. He wondered what sort of power could had blocked him.

"I don't know, Alpha. I-" Zordon began.

"Zordon of Eltar," General McKnight said as he appeared on the Viewing Globe.

" _McKnight,_ " Zordon spat.

"You messed with the wrong man. The wrong _country,_ " McKnight stated. "And in this country we do things the good old fashioned _American_ way. We don't take kindly to illegal aliens like you. Now sit back and relax. I'll take things from here. I think you'll see your Ranger brats are in much better hands now."

"What!? How dare you!? I-" Zordon started proclaiming.

Before he could get out another word, McKnight's face vanished from the Viewing Globe. Zordon's mind was reeling. He couldn't comprehend how McKnight had not only been able to completely block the Command Center from the rest of the world, but also be able to tap into the Viewing Globe system. The only thing he could imagine is that somehow McKnight had gotten access to the same tech SHIELD was using. Tech like that in McKnight's hands was far too dangerous.

"What do we do, Zordon!?" Alpha 5 demanded.

"There's only one thing I _can_ do..." Zordon stated.

Swallowing hard, he began to focus on the Nathadian Magic of the Order of Meledon. Alarms were going off in his mind. He remembered how he'd nearly put himself into a coma the last time he used that powerful Red Magic to pierce through the membrane separating him from the main realm of existence. He knew, though, that his rangers needed him. He wouldn't let McKnight get to them, even if it meant sacrificing himself. He wished he could have had access to others like the Aquitians, but with the Command Center incommunicado, he was left with no choice. Already feeling the Magic begin to saturate within him, he was ready to cast the spell to bring the rangers to the Command Center.

Suddenly, he could feel the Command Center scan a large object. Pausing, Zordon stared at the hologram in confusion as the Command Center allowed it in, dropping the object into the main base. It appeared to be an old Volkswagon Bug, modified with what appeared to be very complex tech.

One by one, the five Power Rangers got out of the vehicle. Zordon was relieved, figuring that the vehicle had to have been some sort of invention of Billy's. Hearing Alpha 5 begin to ask about how they got there and that their communications had been down for hours, Zordon decided to interrupt Alpha and not allow him to reveal to the rangers about the budding rivalry between him and McKnight.

Zordon listened as the rangers told him that Rita had apparently kidnapped a young girl from Kimberly and Trini's Big Sister program. Due to him being so filled with awesome Red Magic power, he was instantly able to peer out of the Command Center and feel for Rita's presence: she had found his cave where the Power Eggs were being kept. Impressing Zordon, Alpha 5 was able to tap into the Command Center as well and realize what Zordon had seen. Zordon knew fully well what the Power Eggs were capable of doing, and he was furious at McKnight for interfering at such a crucial time.

At the request of the rangers, Zordon showed them some of the archived footage the Guardian had shared with him over the past hundred years. It showed a group of members from the original group of Morphing Masters. They were tasked to be the ones of the Power Eggs and had been given the title of the Venerated Ones. He didn't go into too much detail, due to time, but explained a little of how the Venerated Ones had been tasked with caring for the Power Eggs. He didn't tell the Rangers how the Moon Palace had actually been their base, a palace they had created to watch over the Power Eggs from the Moon. After he had discovered the true purpose of the Moon Palace during that century, Zordon had tasked the Alien Rangers of Aquitar to use their Water Bending abilities to move the chest of the Power Eggs into a cave off the coast of Angel Grove, where Trueheart and Baskin had joined with Zordon and the blue armored warrior Zordon only knew as Jor (for he knew not that he was actually the forger of the Power Coins, Ninjor) to create a force field around them to ensure they were unseen by the forces of evil. Unfortunately for them, it seemed as if Rita had found a way to find the Power Eggs. He knew they had the spell over them to ensure that only an innocent could touch the Eggs, and it was obvious by that point that was why the young girl, Maria, had been kidnapped by Rita.

After the Rangers left in the vehicle, Zordon sent a surge of Red Magic from himself to reactivate the Command Center. That and a combination of Billy's vehicle (named the RAD Bug) having entered the Command Center had been enough energy to burst through the firewall Harlen had cursed the Command Center with. From there, Zordon and Alpha 5 watched the rangers travel in Billy's vehicle the RAD Bug to outside the cave where Rita's newest Monster (Chunky Chicken), Goldar, Squatt, and Baboo were running away with the Power Eggs. Seeing that Maria had been hidden by Rita, Zordon told Alpha to keep an eye on her while the rangers battled. Zordon let out a massive sigh of relief when the rangers caused the Power Eggs to leave Chunky Chicken's clutches, allowing him to immediately teleport them back to the cave.

At that, seeing the rangers had things under control, Zordon told Alpha 5 that he needed to meditate for a moment. Tuning out from the communication tube as Rita made Chunky Chicken grow (which didn't worry Zordon due to how weak the Monster was registering in the Command Center's computer scans), Zordon focused. A massive headache presented itself due to what he was doing, but he knew it was worth it. Within moments, Ninjor walked into the Time Warp via a Time Portal.

"What's wrong, Zordon!?" Ninjor demanded, knowing his presence there was throwing off the balance keeping Dulcea's Spirit from going to the Afterlife.

"This will only take a moment... Let me through to Earth," Zordon stated simply.

"What!?" Ninjor cried out.

"Trust me, Jor. I know what I'm doing," Zordon said, confidently.

Ninjor looked down. He wasn't sure what to do. A part of him didn't want to endanger Dulcea, the little girl he had adopted as a niece. The other part of him didn't want to interfere with Zordon as Earth's guardian.

"Okay. I'll wait here," Ninjor stated.

Nodding, Zordon had a look of determination on his face. "Ancient source: Meledon force!"

. . .

General McKnight stood at the driveway of the Cranston residence. He was flanked on either side by his personal soldier from Alphabet Soup. As he stood there, his face was beet red. He was furious at the fact that the rangers had seemingly vanished from the location, even without their ability to teleport. Dr. Harlen, who stood to McKnight's left, had tracked the rangers to Billy's home but lost them after they had entered the RAD Bug. To his right was Richie Mendoza, leading the soldiers in the hunt for the rangers.

"No, no, no!" McKnight roared. "It was supposed to happen right here and right now! We were going to corner those rangers and make them our Global Strike."

"Yeah... it's going to be great to make that Jason bow down to me, forcing him to realize I will be his new Red Ranger," Richie said, beaming with pride.

Harlan gave McKnight a knowing look. Harlan was very curious to see how Richie was going to react when Global Strike came online. Richie didn't know that if they got the entire Mighty Morphin' team (which word from Nick Fury let the government know that was what they Zordon was calling them) that he would have no place in Global Strike. McKnight didn't care, though. The _feelings_ of his men were the very least of his concerns. All he cared about was his duty, or at least what he _perceived_ his duty to be.

"Oh, when I get my hands on that sneaky Zordon, I'm going to-"

"You'll _what_!?" Zordon's booming voice asked from a singularity of light shining above them.

"Huh?" Richie asked, looking up while shielding his eyes.

"What in the-!?" McKnight gasped.

Before anyone could flinch, Meledon Ranger zipped out of the singularity, revealing to Future: Omega Ranger that it was in fact a Time Portal from the Time Warp to Earth. Within a matter of seconds, the soldiers on the Cranston driveway were pummeled to the ground.

Standing ominously before McKnight and Harlan, Meledon Ranger pointed his red tiger saber at McKnight. Red Energy of Rage hovered around him, almost visible. He knew he had to control himself, but every fiber of his being wanted to rip McKnight apart for nearly causing Rita to get away with the Power Eggs.

"Okay, McKnight. You listen to me one last time. I-" Meledon Ranger began.

"Can it, _alien_." Richie said as he jumped up, putting a gun to the back of Meledon Ranger's head.

Before Meledon could spin around and defend himself, a second Time Portal opened up. Flying out from it was the Nathadian Ranger. Tackling Richie to the pavement, Nathadian Ranger grabbed Richie by the collar.

"Leave my dad _alone_." Zrin shouted, slamming Richie's head into the concrete.

Right before he lost consciousness, Richie's mind was buzzing. The ranger from his nightmares, the one he subconsciously remembered as the one who stopped him from kidnapping Rocky, Adam, and Aisha was hovering before him, threatening his Life. For the second time, Nathadian Ranger knocked him out.

"Good to see you, son," Meledon Ranger said via private communication.

"Let's scare this guy straight and see if we can get some info on Rex while we're at it," Nathadian Ranger replied.

"McKnight?" Zordon said as he switched to public chat. "Listen: Rita Repulsa almost got a power source strong enough to change the Timestream. Do you realize how cataclysmic that could had been? She could had put that power into herself to make herself a _god_. I narrowly was able to give the rangers enough info at the last minute to intervene."

"By the way, Dad, we moved the Power Eggs to a new location: the Animarium," Nathadian Zrin stated while still in private comm link. "I just thought you should know."

McKnight sneered. "Who do you think you are, trying to go around and play god yourself!? And since when do you personally leave the Command Center!? Fury told us you were confined to it! You... You can't just jump into our lives and take control of everything!"

"Yes, he can," Nathadian Ranger said simply. "You don't know it, but your species is already extinct. Eons ago all of Humanity was destroyed. We traveled back in Time to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Meledon Ranger let that mull around both in his head and McKnight's for a moment. It was _technically_ true, though neither he nor Zrin were specifically in the group that had been the Time travelers, though their association with those in the Hall of Legends made it so that their mission was the same. And in the end, McKnight didn't need to know the details, just the main message.

McKnight looked down, losing some of his aggressive demeanor. "We... lost once? America? All of it?"

"The whole planet," Zrin stated. "Not one person on the planet, not one _organization or country_ , was strong enough to stop it. We've come back to ensure history doesn't repeat itself."

"The take home story is this, McKnight," Meledon Ranger said. "Do not interfere again. You almost unleashed the exact same horror on Earth that was unleashed in another Timeline. I don't think you want that on your conscience in the Afterlife. This is your last warning."

"Are we in agreement?" Nathadian Ranger asked.

"You have my word. I'll leave your rangers alone," McKnight stated.

"Very well then. Let the Power protect you," Meledon Ranger stated as he vanished into a Time Portal, along with his son.

"Uh...uh... amazing!" Harlan gasped, seemingly able to breathe for the first time since Meledon entered the area. "Do you know what this could mean for Bio Labs!? They just proved Time travel is possible! Dr. Beckett and Dr. Phenomenus were just about to give up on the Quantum Leap Project! We can give them hope to press forward!"

"That's the least of my concerns..." McKnight stated, looking around at his soldiers. "These were some of our best fighters, and they were wiped clean in seconds. We are out of our league, Harlan."

"But, you heard them. They're here to help us," Harlan stated.

"Yes, I believe them, but... did you see their power?" McKnight stated. "We couldn't stand up to them. Harlan, I've had a revelation. An epiphany. An _insight_ into how much of a _bug_ I really am. If I had no way of defending myself against these demi-gods, how can I defend myself against those who threaten the likes of _them_? Hmm? You heard them, with their fantastic tale of Time travel. They already failed once. What's to stop them from failing _again_? Failing _us_ like they failed our counterparts in another Timeline?"

"May I just express how impressed I am, sir, at your grasp of how alternate realities work?" Harlan added.

Ignoring his comment, McKnight continued. "If them, with all their power, couldn't stop the world's destruction, then I have no confidence in them to not make the same mistakes. I'm not going to allow these beings to play with my life, my future, without me taking a step forward myself and trying to ascend to godhood as well. Even if I fail, I'm going down with no regrets. Harlan? We're going to take this bull by the horns and tame it or die trying. Global Strike is still a go."

"But General McKnight!" Harlan gasped. "You heard what Zordon said! We're not supposed to mess with his rangers!"

"You are correct. We'll need our _own_ five teens," McKnight stated. "And since it _is_ Global Strike, let's make this a global team. I've just decided that each ranger should hail from a different part of the world. It'll give the team diversity that Zordon's team lacks. There's that one kid from Japan... He showed some promise. See if we can get him to be our Red Ranger. Go through our lists and find who we have in our international Alphabet Soup branches."

"We _have_ international branches!? I thought this was an American institution!" Harlan gasped.

"Oh, it is. But you know... we need to spread the seeds of the American way _somehow_. We opened some secret bases in other countries," McKnight stated simply. "Congratulations, Harlan. You just graduated to Access Level Eight. You'll need more access to what Alphabet Soup is up to if you're going to make this as good as it needs to be.

"And make sure to keep tabs on Zordon's Rangers." McKnight added as he turned around to head back to his jeep. "I still want them for my ranger team."

"But... but you said we're using different teens for the team, sir?" Harlan asked, confused.

"Oh, we are. But Global Strike is just the tip of the ice burg. Project: Jet, Spectrum, Supernova... Harlan, we have _many_ hidden projects. Heck, the Quantum Leap Project has a secret end goal for something we're calling the ' _Quantum_ Ranger'! I still want Zordon's Power Rangers. They _will_ serve my ends, whether they want to _or not,_ " McKnight said defiantly.

"But... you promised Zordon you wouldn't harm them..." Harlan stated nervously.

McKnight barked a laugh. "Ha! I said I wouldn't mess with his _rangers_. He never said anything about me getting them if they were _no longer his Power Rangers_."

Harlan gave him a puzzled look. "I... I don't understand."

"Don't worry about it," McKnight answered, smiling. "The time will come. You'll see. One by one, Zordon's Power Rangers _will_ work for me."

. . .

 _ **Universal Magic Grid of Universe M54331Z-B**_

Saba stared at the images shown to him by the Tribunal of Magic. He had been shown by the trio what had happened in that most recent event in Power Ranger history. He had come to the Tribunal, demanding them to take back the power of the Order of Meledon, because it was threatening the Life of his best friend. In response, they had shown him basically a live feed of the events surrounding Rita nearly acquiring the Power Eggs. He had seen Zordon be able to use the Red Magic he had thought of as a curse to reactivate the Command Center, track down McKnight, and face off with him to put fear into him (though he hadn't seen McKnight's reaction to Zordon's appearance).

"Do you now see the importance the Order of Meledon is?" The Red Mage, Baelfire, asked.

"I... I do..." Saba said, suddenly ashamed at his short sightedness.

"Now if you don't mind," Will, the Black Mage, began. " _Leave_. We have other planets in this universe we need to manage, too, you know!"

"We appreciate your worry over your friend, Saba," The White Mage Mary stated. "Zordon is lucky to have you. And it took a lot from you to even get to us in the first place. Please know that we are solely trying to show you the wisdom we had in bestowing the Order of Meledon to Zordon via the blessing Dulcea gave him eons ago."

Saba nodded. "I see that wisdom. And yes, the universe had been failed by a Zordon before, but _this_ Zordon... _my_ Zordon... he is different. He is _needed_ in the universe, and there is no one person better than he to wield the powerful Red Magic. And I will do all I can to sustain him in this high calling."

"I am glad we were able to strengthen your testimony in him," Baelfire said. "Now go. Return to him. I'm sure he is missing you."

Saba smiled. "Yes, Master Mage."

Turning around, Saba galloped through the liquid-like portal. Teleporting from the Magic Grid and back to his time warp, he found himself rushing forward toward Nathadian and Meledon Rangers. They had just barely arrived once again to the Time Warp themselves, freshly arrived from their escapade against McKnight. Ninjor stood off to the side, relieved both Zordon and Saba had returned and begun the polarizing affect that once again kept Dulcea's Spirit in stasis in the Nothingness.

Turning around, Meledon Ranger demorphed as he saw his friend rushing toward him. "Saba!"

"Zordon!" Saba cried out, jumping into Zordon's arms.

The two embraced, holding each other tight. Even though it had been a short time that they had been apart, it had felt like an eternity to both of them.

"I am so sorry I left," Saba said.

"I'm sorry I wasn't more open to you," Zordon replied. "I shouldn't have been so harsh."

Saba laughed. "You're fine. It was my pride that set me off."

"You were only worried about me. It's fine," Zordon said, smiling.

"Well, I'm glad things are going well here." Zrin stated, laughing. "But we should be heading off now. Not only is our presence messing with Dulcea's Spirit, but the longer I'm here the closer the Supreme and Traveler can get to tracking the Hall of Legends down."

"Understood. Goodbye, son," Zordon stated. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Dad," Zrin said as he vanished into the Time Portal.

"I must be heading out, too," Ninjor said. "I'm glad I could be of help!"

"Goodbye, Jor. May the Power protect you," Zordon stated as he vanished into a Time Portal himself.

"What is his deal, anyway?" Saba wondered outloud.

"I think he may have been an old Morphing Master or maybe even a Nathadian himself," Zordon said.

"No, if he was a Nathadian then he would be just as qualified to be here in the Time Warp as we are," Saba said. "Well, I'm sure we'll figure him out one day."

"Yes, but for now we have more pressing matters to attend to." Zordon stated, turning back to look at the many, many diagrams they had drawn into the sand around them. "Let's work on upgrading the Rangers' powers. I feel it is time to start working on the Metallic Armor."

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B**_

Rose sat at her table in the cafeteria. Sitting next to her was Mora, but the two were only sitting together due to force of habit. They hadn't spoken to each other since their earlier mission, when Mora had shown she was willing sacrifice others for her (and apparently Rose's as well) gain. Although Rose was in Mora's intent, Rose wanted nothing to do with practices that would harm those who couldn't defend themselves. Their relationship was shattered.

"Rose? Mora?" Special Agent Myers stated, walking into the cafeteria.

"Yes, Myers?" Rose asked.

The former sniper from Ernie's team turned Special Agent smiled at the two. "I have a special assignment for you two. Because you are both a good duo and know the importance of teamwork, we're having you two train our newest cadet."

"New cadet?" Mora asked.

Moving to the side, a young girl with long black pigtails was revealed standing behind Myers. "Meet your newest team member: Maria!"

"Hi!" Maria, the girl who had just been kidnapped by Chunky Chicken, declared. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Mora looked to Rose slowly. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

. . .

Goldar sat, staring at the Time Device. It was nearly complete. It made the massive gold armored beast pensive, for he had seen first hand how close Rita had gotten to godhood. He had been close to the Power Eggs, himself, but knew if he had made a move for them that Rita would've blasted him before he could had done anything with them. But her plan had given him drive.

 _If_ _she_ _almost got it done, then surely I can do it, too!_ Goldar thought as he stood in his Dark Dimension. _I now know what my goal is: I am going to go back to the days of the Ancient Morphing Masters. I will go back in Time once this is finished and I will take the Power Eggs for myself!_


	8. Chapter Eight: I, Eye Guy

**Chapter Eight: I, Eye Guy**

 ** _2050 AD - Hall of Legends_**

"How is Leslie doing?" Future: Omega Ranger asked.

"Okay. Her vitals are stable," Sophie replied.

"Good, good..." Sam answered. "Okay, so you know how I said I was going to do three events per file?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, with how things are looking to finish out this folder I will be an event off from finishing this at a round number, so _this_ event will be the last one that will be a solo event," Omega stated.

Sophie laughed. "A bit OCD now, aren't we?"

Smiling behind his helmet, Future: Omega Ranger shrugged. "Maybe just a bit. Anyway, let me know after I finish this file how Leslie is doing and if you were able to trace those Watchers at all. With how close your ship was to them I'd be shocked if you weren't able to track their movements a _little_."

"Don't hold your breath. If they left this universe then I can't follow them," Sophie replied.

Sighing, Omega nodded. "Just do your best, please. Rip came here and tried to help me... I can't just give up on him like that..."

"We'll find him," Sophie stated, unsure of her statement. "Just... keep indexing, okay? Leave Rip to me."

"Okay, Sophie," Omega replied. "And thanks. Well, here we go again..."

. . .

 ** _1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B_**

Rita, bored, was wandering around her balcony. As she did, she shrugged and decided to see what the "Power Brats" were up to. Focusing the telescope she had to zoom down to the frequency at which the Rangers' morphers were set, she found them in Billy Cranston's garage. With them was an unknown child, who Rita quickly grew suspicious of.

"Who is that new kid!? Is Zordon planning on using the sixth Ranger coin now!?" Rita yelled, worrying filling her.

Baboo trotted in with Squatt at his tail, confused. "Um... don't _you_ have the sixth Ranger Power Coin, your Evilness?"

"Huh?" She asked, looking up to stare at him. "Oh... oh, yeah! You're right!"

Squatt and Baboo were nonethewiser about what Rita Repulsa was going through. They knew not about the infection of Red Rage Lord Zedd had placed upon her eons earlier, causing her to not only bend to his will whenever he was around but also for her to be driven by the Red Energy of Rage from the Emotional Spectrum. That Rage was slowly eating away at her mind, causing her to not be able to focus and remember things as she normally would have.

Looking back to the boy, who she overheard was named Willy, she saw that the ranger team was playing with an extremely advanced virtual reality device he had created. She smiled when she heard him saying he was entering it in some sort of massive science fair.

Laughing, she looked up from the telescope. "Finster! Baboo! Goldar! There's a boy with the Power Rangers. I want to steal his intelligence and make it my own!"

"How will you do that!?" Squatt inquired.

At the tip of her mind was a fleeting memory. It was of her next in some sort of rotating device, spinning her around and around. She was crying for her parents as someone... a queen? A Demon...? She couldn't quite remember... was laughing and telling some sort of beast in the shadows to drain her of all of her intellect. She just couldn't quite remember what that was about...

"I... I don't know! Goldar!? Send down the Putties!" Rita demanded.

Feigning perfect allegiance, Goldar bowed to Rita. "Yes, my queen! It shall be done!"

"Finster!" Rita called out. "Make me a Monster that can steal brains!"

"Oh, a Zombie! Well, I have quite the Monster for you. He is-"

"No, not a Zombie you numbskull!" Rita cried out. "If I wanted a Zombie I'd call that fool Sirena or her dumb brother Nekros. I want _intelligence_ stealing."

"Ah, okay my queen. Just give me a moment." Finster said as he began to look through his book.

As he did, Rita turned to see if Goldar had already gone. To her frustration, not only had he sent out the Putties but he had already returned from overseeing the battle.

"What are you doing here!? Shouldn't you be helping grab that child!?" Rita demanded.

With his voice still sore and recuperating, Goldar nodded. "My queen, I... I was unable to help because there were SHIELD agents around. The rangers defeated the Putties and I ran before SHIELD could finish me!"

Not knowing he was lying, Rita simply yelled at him. After beating him over the head a few times with her staff, she marched back into Finster's Laboratory. As she left, Goldar chuckled to himself knowing that he helped in Rita not being able to obtain the smart child. With that, he turned around to return to working on his Time Device.

"Finster!? What have you got for me?!" Rita demanded, still upset with Goldar's incompetance.

"I thought we'd use the one that worked well on Regda 2." Finster said, standing up from his chair. "You remember... Eye Guy?"

The name rang familiar to Rita's ears. As Finster described to her how he went down to capture children using what was called his Main Eye, memories began to flood her mind. A young girl named Divitria, who had apparently been her best friend, popped into her vision. She saw the two of them training... for someone. She couldn't remember how it had been Queen Bansheera, training her and several other children to be a part of the group she called Alphabet Soup. She began to remember Eye Guy suddenly. Just vague memories of him training her. Not wanting to admit she only slightly remembered him, she nodded.

"Yes, I remember now! He was delightfully evil!" She proclaimed. "Send down Eye Guy!"

. . .

"What have you got on the Willy kid?" Kaplan asked Ernie.

Ernie shrugged. "Genius level kid. He's been working with Billy Cranston on some sort of virtual reality device. I even tried it on once. The kid's the real deal."

"Then we'll use him for our own gain..." Kaplan stated. "Ernie? Inform the judges to make Willy's life a living nightmare."

"What for!?" Ernie demanded, upset at what was being requested of him.

"Careful, Agent Finestein..." Kaplan said slowly. "You wouldn't want me thinking that you're growing attached to the assignment..."

Swallowing hard, Ernie nodded. He _was_ growing attached to them, and he knew it. He also knew that he didn't want to leave that assignment. He dreaded the thought of someone as heartless as Richie Mendoza or the like to get the assignment of handling the teens. He knew they wouldn't stand a chance at how merciless he could be.

"Sir, yes sir..." Ernie stated. "But... why?"

"Because he will be under much pressure in the assignment we have planned for him," Kaplan stated simply. "If he is as smart as I believe him to be, the only thing I have left to determine to see if he is indeed a perfect fit is to see how he handles pressure."

A few moments later, Kaplan noticed Billy being confronted by Bulkmeier. Seating himself, he studied the scenario. He was quite pleased with how Billy was not only not backing down, but standing up for himself. Whether it was the enhanced drugs Alphabet Soup was pumping into Billy, the power of the Morphing Grid, or just the fact he felt better about himself due to being a Power Ranger Kaplan knew not. Perhaps it was a mix of all three, he thought. He knew not that it was one simple thing: the power of Billy knowing he belonged in a group of friends. Regardless of whether or not he would've become a ranger, the act of Kimberly, Jason, Zach, and Trini befriending Billy changed his entire outlook on life. In fact, that had been one of the reasons Billy had befriended Willy: he wanted Willy to have the same benefits of friendship that he had received.

Kaplan became a bit frustrated when Jason and Zach jumped in to defend Billy. He had wanted to see what Billy would had done by himself, but in the end he had another thing to focus on: testing Willy. And with the antics of Bulk and Skull fresh in his mind, he came up with a simple idea.

"Agent Finestein? Whisper to Agent Clarkson to expel Willy from the competition. Tell him to say to Willy that he was the cause of the disruption Bulk and Skull made," Kaplan stated.

"But-"

"That's an order."

With that, Kaplan sat back and watched as Willy was told the news. He stared as the kid rather quickly gave up and ran out of the fair. Sighing, Kaplan saw that the kid had not one ounce of determination. The moment things went south, Willy turned tail and ran.

 _Definitely not what I need in Alphabet Soup..._ Kaplan thought sadly as he turned his attention to the rest of the candidates.

. . .

The Blue Power Ranger found himself rolling down a hill. Zordon had shown them their enemy, Eye Guy, and how he had kidnapped Willy after he had run off from the fair. He and the rest of the team had believed they had defeated him with their Power Blaster. Unfortunately for them, they had been wrong: Eye Guy simply had brought himself back together, eye by eye, before hitting them all so hard that they rolled down the side of a massive hill in the quarry.

As Blue Ranger was growing frustrated at the prospect of not getting Willy back, he heard Zordon in his helmet's communicator. "Billy! My sensors show that Eye Guy has his main eye hidden in another part of the park. Leave the others to fight and track down the eye."

Blue Ranger, clenching his fist in anger, nodded. "Right."

"You'll find the eye in a forested area just south of your location. And Billy... you _must_ hurry," Zordon stated.

Blue Ranger turned and sprinted in the other direction. As he arrived, he found a small girl in a striped dress about to be attacked by Eye Guy. Apparently going off of memory from when he used to be alive, Eye Guy decided to begin abducting more children. Seeing that, Blue Ranger jumped in front of the beams and defected the attack with the Morphing Energy of his suit. He then tossed his Power Lance at the Main Eye, greatly damaging Eye Guy.

From there it was fairly formulaic: Rita caused the Monster to grow, causing the rangers to summon their Megazord. Within a few moves, Billy had been able to time the attacks just right and cause the Power Sword to hit the Main Eye, destroying Eye Guy once again and freeing Willy.

All the while, Kaplan had been watching the battle. At the end, he noticed how Willy had appeared and the rangers went to him. He smiled, realizing that the Monster had kidnapped him.

"Ah... so the kid has more value than I thought..." Kaplan said, picking up his walkie talkie. "Ernie? This is Dr. Kaplan. Tell the judges to reinstate Willy. And? Tell them to give him first place and to visit my office to receive his prize..."

. . .

Willy walked into "Principal Kaplan's" office rather hesitantly. Looking around, he didn't see him anywhere.

"That's weird..." Willy said to himself.

As he did, a "secret" door suddenly opened via the bookshelf on the wall lifting up. As he stood there in shock, Agent Richie Mendoza stepped out and shot Willie with a tranquilizer dart.

Kaplan stepped forward from behind Richie as Willy crumpled to the floor. "Nice work, Richie."

"Of course," Richie answered. "Now what?"

"Now? Now we ship him over to Dr. Phenomenus and Dr. Beckett," Kaplan stated. "I believe the child's virtual reality simulator can be re-worked by him to help finalize the missing pieces needed for the Quantum Leap Project."

"Does this mean...?" Richie asked.

Kaplan smiled. "Yes, it does Richie. We are going to finally get the Quantum Ranger online!"


	9. Ch 9:HappyBdayZackNoClowningPowerPunks

**Chapter Nine: Happy Birthday, Zack; No Clowning Around; Power Punks**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B**_

Trini sat at the table, painting the banner for one of her best friend's surprise birthday parties. As she painted, Kimberly Ann Hart sat next to her.

"... and I don't know, Trini. It's just that I _want_ to like Steve, you know? But there's just something _off_ about him. I just can't quite put my finger on it..." Kimberly said, continuing speaking about her soon to be step dad.

As she spoke, Trini was only half listening. A couple of night's prior she had gone through one horrendous nightmare involving a plot of Rita Repulsa's, taking one of her dolls from her collection (named Mr. Ticklesneezer) and turning it into a Monster. The dream in and of itself had been fairly odd and nothing noteworthy... except for one image in particular. In the dream there had been one thing that had happened that bothered her. During a part of the battle when the Megazord had been able to convince Ticklesneezer to no longer be evil, Trini had seen a child, as big as a building, standing next to the Megazord.

The child was her older brother, Li. When the two had been younger, she had been playing with him in a river. He had gotten caught in some current and he drifted away. He unfortunately had not survived the incident, and it haunted Trini. She never spoke about it, not wanting to verbally acknowledge the incident. She had felt guilty for not having been fast or strong enough to save her older brother, and in fact that had been one of the driving factors in her life to become the great martial artist she had become. But for her, seeing Li there next to the Megazord... it was a bizarre sight, and seeing him in her dreams next to her current "career" as a Power Ranger was haunting. It made her think about how no matter how much she did as a Power Ranger, no matter how much of a hero she had become, she could not go back and save her brother.

"Hello! Earth to Trini!" Kim said. "Have you even been listening?"

"Uh... yeah, oh yeah. Sure." Trini stated. "Your Uncle Steve."

"Yeah... 'Uncle' Steve. Oh, Trini? You do know that his name is spelled with a 'k', right? Now an 'h'?" Kimberly said, pointing at Trini's banner.

"Really? But Zordon called him 'Zachary'." Trini said, pointing to the 'h' in Zack's name (for whom the banner was being made).

Kim shrugged. "I guess Zordon assumed too much?"

"Hunh." Trini said, scrapping the banner and starting with a new one.

As she did, Billy finished setting up his machine. It was designed to be able to create a gorgeous birthday cake for Zack, completely autonomously. With the machine on and cranking away, Billy began to dance to the cassette Kim had let him borrow for his Walkman. As he danced, Ernie watched the machine begin.

"Agent Finestein?" Kaplan's voice was heard saying over the earpiece in Ernie's ear.

"Ugh... what?"

"I want to see how well Billy would be able to _fix_ that machine were anything to go wrong. We need to see how capable he is. Go over and act as if you are investigating the machine. Do what you can to break it."

Begrudgingly, Ernie stepped forward and did as he was asked. Within moments, the Cake-O-Matic (the name for Billy's creation) had gone haywire and had begun tossing out some sort of frothy mixture. After near no time at all, Ernie was covered with the gunk. As Billy was shown the problem, he rather quickly fixed the tampering Ernie had caused.

"Interesting..." Kaplan stated. "It's as if he didn't need to think about it at all. He may be the biggest threat of all the Rangers combined. At least, potentially... When we get Global Strike online, we will definitely need to find someone to match his intellect."

. . .

On the Moon Palace, Rita Repulsa walked about, speaking with Finster on the topic of sending a Monster down specifically to sabotage Zack's birthday party. Rita had concluded that to get to the team, seeing as they were young teenagers, that if she ruined their day to day lives it would affect their performance on the field.

As she walked with him, they passed by a sleeping Goldar. She assumed, erroneously, that Goldar was exhausted from his training in the Dark Dimension. What she knew not was that his exhaustion was from working on the Time Device. He was bound and determined to get it up and running sooner rather than later. He wanted with all of his heart to be able to get it working so that he could change the course of history.

As they spoke loudly, they woke Goldar up. Sitting up a bit, he overheard Finster mention that the Monster they were going to create, bringing his Spirit back from the Afterlife into the clay vessel he would create would be none other than Nasty Knight. He chuckled as Rita mentioned how the Monster had been used on Tarmac 3 to make "space dust" of their "finest warrior". He remembered the hand he had played in that battle, and how that "finest warrior" had been none other than Burai, the original Green Ranger and former right hand man to Zordon of Eltar. He remembered how satisfied he had been in orchestrating Burai's destruction, especially since it had been in order to fulfill the promise he had made to Burai thousands of years earlier, that he would ensure Burai would be destroyed. That in and of itself had been also the day Rita's gang had gained for themselves Burai's Dragon Dagger and Power Coin, as well as the Sword of Darkness. Goldar wondered right then and there when Rita would be using any of those artifacts again...

. . .

Zordon stood beside Saba when suddenly he clutched at his heart. He fell to a knee, sweat dripping down his brow.

"What's wrong!?" Saba demanded.

Looking up to the hologram leading to the Command Center, Zordon addressed his answer to Alpha 5. "I sense a disturbance in the Morphing Grid. Alpha! Activate the Viewing Globe and see if you can find out what it is."

As Alpha 5 turned the image machine on, Zordon saw the Black Ranger in battle against a Monster. "Looks like quite a battle raging."

"It's Zack!"

"Alone against one of Rita's diabolical henchmen..." Zordon noted, worried. "I'll contact the Rangers. Prepare to teleport them to Zack's location!"

As Zordon spoke with Jason over the communicator system, he looked closely at the Monster fighting Zack. His heart stopped when he saw who it was. It was none other than the beast who had destroyed Burai.

"No..." Zordon gasped.

"It's Nasty Knight." Saba said, growling.

"I don't know if the rangers can stop him." Zordon stated. "Burai was a much better fighter than any of them, and he fell to Knasty Knight."

"Yes, but Burai was alone. With a team they should fare better, correct?" Saba stated.

Zordon did not answer. As he saw the rangers begin to battle Nasty Knight with their Megazord, he thought on Saba's words. It was true, Burai had been alone. Alone because Zordon had secluded himself and had not gone out to battle since Tria's presumed demise. Burai's death had actually been the thing that had catapulted him back into action, but it was too little too late. Burai had fallen, and had become a pawn in Deviot's Bio Mech Ranger team as one of his evil Cyborgs. And at that moment, Zordon felt the weight of his hesitance in fighting all once again. Had he been there with Burai on Tarmac 3, he felt he could had been able to save his friend.

"Zordon? The rangers did it. Nasty Knight has fallen." Saba said.

"Oh... yes, fantastic..." Zordon said, looking off into the distance. "Right... okay, Saba? Let's make a protocol that no ranger is ever alone again, okay?"

"How do you think we can institute something like that?" Saba asked. "It doesn't seem like something we can easily enforce..."

"I don't know!" Zordon suddenly shouted, looking at his best friend. "I... I just can't lose any of these rangers like... like we lost Burai..."

Saba then understood. Pursing his lips as he saw tears flow down Zordon's cheeks, Saba stepped forward and embraced Zordon. The two sat in the sand of their shared Time Warp as Zordon cried over the fallen Green Dragon Ranger.

. . .

"Oh, Maria!" Mora shouted, stamping her feet. "You're so _annoying_!"

Maria, the newest recruit into Alphabet Soup, laughed. "And that's why I'm here, right?"

Special Agent Myers nodded. The former sniper turned Alphabet Soup handler watched as Maria did her darnedest to frustrate Mora. For the first two hours or so Mora had kept her cool, but... Just like Kaplan had hypothesized, everyone has their breaking point.

"Give me some Crayons!" Mora demanded. "I'm going to draw something to make Maria wish she'd never been born!"

"Okay, okay. That's enough. Thank you Mora, you can go." Myers stated.

As Mora was allowed out of the door, she heard Myers congratulating Maria. Mora sneered as she walked out and into the room where her former best friend, Rose, was waiting for her.

"You lasted longer than the others..." Rose stated, typing on her computer without looking at Mora. "Congratulations."

"Congratulations!? Did you see what they put us through!?" Mora demanded. "We're nothing more than guinea pigs to them! We're _little children_."

Rose shrugged. "I'm resigned to my fate here. Yes we're little children, but we're also geniuses. It's the lot I was dealt in life, and there's nothing I can do about it. Because of my gifts I am now trapped in a world of absolute terror and horror. Not the life my family envisioned for me, but oh well."

"'Oh well'!? Rose! You aspired to go to the most prestigious learning academies the world has to offer!" Mora screamed. "You wanted to become the youngest college professor ever!"

Rose sighed. "I guess that's just it... I can't bring myself to fight it. I'm just one girl in the midst of this chaos..."

"But you me _me_." Mora insisted.

Rose scoffed. "Do I? You remember that girl? Alyssa Enrilé? How do I know that you won't treat me like you treated her if push comes to shove?"

Mora sighed as she looked down to her feet. Susie Sunshine's hands, dangling down from her position at Mora's side, were the only other things Mora could see. She didn't want to have to look at Rose in the face.

"I did that... to protect _both_ of us." Mora insisted, thought sheepishly.

"But if you're capable of that, then how do I know you're not capable of backstabbing _me_?" Rose demanded.

"I guess you're not..." Mora said, sadly. "I guess there is no way out of this, after all..."

As Mora lowered her head and turned to walk out, Richie Mendoza walked into the room. "Mora? Rose? You've both been chosen to help us figure out the mechanics of the Morphing Grid. Your instructions will be sent via ethernet in the next few moments. That is all."

Rose did her best to hide a smile. Although only five years old, the genius mind she had been given helped her hatch a tremendous plan. Throughout the course of the last year she had been in Alphabet Soup, she noted how those chosen to do the _big_ assignments had loose security around them. She wanted one of those cushy positions, but wanted to figure out _how_.

During her observations, she saw that those in teams were those who, generally speaking, did not get along one with the other. The old Royal Flush Gang, for instance, had severe problems cooperating with each other (which led to their downfall, when Ace turned on all of them). She knew that Alphabet Soup had paired her with Mora and she also knew that _they_ knew how well they got along. Ever since she had come to that realization, she had planned on forging a pseudo fight with Mora. She had even gone to the trouble of teaching herself Morse Code so that she and Mora could communicate in secret so that although they appeared as if they were no longer friends, they could still plan together.

What Rose had not planned on was finding out about Mora's dark side. She was unstable and dangerous, willing to sacrifice anyone for what she thought was best for herself (or even best for those she cared about, which Rose realized included herself in some warped, twisted way). Instead of trying to smooth things over with Mora, Rose decided to use their real life brawl as fuel to make her plan seem more convincing. In all honesty, she _wasn't_ getting along with Mora, and at that point Rose believed the authenticity of their quarrels was what was allowing her access to such a high priority project. She was certain that soon she would be able to escape Alphabet Soup.

 _And I won't be helping Mora out of here._ Rose thought to herself as she began to plan the next phase of her escape. _I can't have someone as powerful as her and as_ _dangerous_ _as her out and about, potentially terrorizing everyone around her. If I'm going to get out of here... I'm doing this on my own..._

All the while, after giving the message he'd been ordered to give, Richie Mendoza found himself meeting with Special Agent Myers outside of the observation area. Myers had become a sort of role model to Richie. He admired Myers' abilities with firearms, and also how he had risen through the ranks of GA Rex's outfit. Just how Myers had started out just being a sniper for the team Alfred Pennyworth had assembled and the agent only known as "Spencer" had been the leader of to being a top ranking officer in Alphabet Soup, Richie aspired to become the Red Ranger of the new Global Strike team from his post as a hired gun.

"Thanks, Mendoza." Myers said. "It's good to finally have some of these brains here helping Phenomenus and Beckett tear apart the mysteries of the 'Morphing Grid', or whatever it is Rex wants us to call it."

"Do you ever wonder how Rex knows about these kinds of things?" Richie asked Myers. "I mean... He knew about Monsters coming from outer space, he knew about the Morphing Grid, and... I dunno. It's all kinda weird, right? Just how much knowledge of things he has? I mean, the algorithm to find these 'special' kids for Alphabet Soup came from him. I mean... he doesn't even have a degree in any science or math stuff. He was a business major."

Myers shrugged. "I came from a team that had an alien shapeshifter on it. She's now posing as a high school teacher over at Angel Grove High. I... I've learned not to question things, Mendoza. There's always a good, logical explanation for things if you dig deep enough."

"Yeah, but... would we like the answers if we found them?" Richie asked.

Shrugging once again, Myers looked to Richie. "That's why I stopped looking long ago. Rex has done a lot of good for our nation. I'm not gonna question his methods."

"The ends justify the means?" Richie asked, mockingly.

"Ha!" Myers barked. "You of all people asking me that question? How many innocent _kids_ have you murdered in cold blood in the last _week_ from Angel Grove High? Hmm?"

A scowl showed itself on Richie's face. "I do as I'm told. I question later, when I'm on my bed trying to sleep at night. Trying to _forget_ what I _have_ to do."

"Oh, really?" Myers questioned, a sarcastic smile plastered on his face. "If I recall correctly, the last few videos I watched of you 'executing your orders' showed you having quite a good time."

"Videos!?" Richie gasped. "You guys _watch_ me? _Spy_ on me!?"

"Of course, kid!" Myers laughed. "What? Did you think that the government trusts _anyone_? That's why the Men in Black were formed, Mendoza. You're not special... none of us are. We're just the guys put in place to make sure things happen. If we don't do our part, there's always someone else who can replace us."

Richie smiled at that. "Yeah... I guess you're right. I mean, I am the one to replace the current Red Power Ranger."

Myers cocked up an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? You think so? Did you see that eyeball Monster they destroyed a couple of days ago? You think you could handle something like that?"

"Easy, especially with those morphers they have." Richie said confidently.

"Okay, okay..." Myers stated. "Well, I heard over my comm piece they're battling some sort of clown, pineapple Monster at a carnival right now. I suggest you look at the Red Ranger again and see if you really think you have what it takes to replace him. That Jason is a _stud_ , Richie. No offense to you, but I don't know of _anyone_ in Alphabet Soup who could take him on."

Richie curled his lip. "What's up with you today, Myers!? Why are you getting all upset with me and stuff!?"

Myers sighed. "I dunno... I... I guess I just got a little defensive with your arrogance is all. I'm a simple country boy, or at least I _was_ once upon a time. I just... I guess there's a part of me that just likes to stick to the humbler side of things. And you, my friend, ain't humble."

Richie smiled. "Of course not. There's nothing to be humble about! I'm _the_ Richie Mendoza! Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll take your advice and go watch that Red Ranger in action."

Formerly dismissing himself from Special Agent Myers, Richie made his way to the nearest computer terminal. Inputting his password into Alphabet Soup's ethernet system, Richie found himself logging into the surveillance program. Within a few moments, he was watching the Power Rangers in the midst of battle.

He could see four of the five rangers (Yellow was missing) battling it out with some Putty Patrollers. He then saw them head toward a park area in the Carnival area, where they met up with Goldar who was defending the Monster Rita had sent down, Pine-Octopus. He smirked as he watched the Red Ranger get tossed to the side, landing at the feet of his comrades.

 _With all that natural super strength_ _and_ _morphing powers, yet you_ _still_ _get tossed around?_ Richie asked himself delusionally. _If I had your gifts I'd definitely be the better ranger._

As Goldar got ready to continue the fight, Pine-Octopus stopped him. Richie was intrigued, as it seemed the Monster wanted to fight the Rangers on his own. Richie knew not, but Goldar was more than glad to step aside.

 _I have much better things to do than Rita's dirty work._ Goldar thought. _She interrupted me when I was on the verge of success with the Time Device! I must head back..._

Richie was then confused as the Pine-Octopus began to grow. He wondered why Rita would had done that, since it seemed as if the Rangers had been at the Monster's mercy. That's when he realized it was a tactic: the Monster was beating the Rangers, but it was obvious he wasn't getting strong enough to _destroy_ them. Richie figured the sudden growth was for Rita to change the tactics. Hopefully the new playing field would be more advantageous.

The next thing confused Richie even more: the Rangers engaged Pine-Octopus with their individual zords instead of going straight to Megazord mode. After freezing the Monster, the Rangers then went to their normal way of fighting. With the Monster frozen, the Megazord channeled Morphing Energy into its horns and sent it spiraling toward Pine-Octopus, obliterating him.

 _Interesting..._ Richie thought. _By freezing him, they didn't need to use their Power Sword. But why would they care to not be excessive? Actually... why do they not just summon their Megazord right off the bat? The two things must be linked... perhaps... perhaps they are trying to conserve power? If that's the case, then... then perhaps that's a weakness of theirs! I gotta tell Kaplan! Or McKnight!_

Or wait... no. I won't tell them. I'll use that info for myself! The only way to guarantee my promotion is to be the one to bring the Power Rangers down. If I can figure out how to drain their energy, then I can bring them in gift wrapped to McKnight myself. Then that'll definitely get me maybe even a commanding spot in Alphabet Soup itself!

What Richie knew not was that his entire mode of thinking was off. He didn't know that the Rangers were trying not to conserve energy, but to follow the Order of Meledon. They were trying to go through steps to not escalate the battle. But there was no way of Richie knowing that, and as was common for the Human Race to do when they didn't understand supernatural things, he began to use mortal logic to explain to himself the things of the unseen. And that misplaced thought was the beginning to what was becoming a way of thinking that could only lead to very, very bad things...

. . .

 _ **Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B**_

As Zordon and Saba worked on the blueprints for projects they would upload to Alpha 5 in the Command Center on Earth proper, Zordon find himself smiling. At not one instant did he have to tell the Rangers what to do or how to defeat the Monster. They hadn't even thought to call out for him. They went and thought for themselves. From Billy having the item needed to save the girl named Sylvia, to Jason organizing the Rangers in a way so that they didn't escalate the battle, to Trini taking it upon herself to save the injured girl, everything fell into place.

On the other hand, Saba was frustrated. "Can you believe that they didn't bother to report in!? What if there was something about that Monster they didn't know about!?"

The smile quickly left Zordon's face. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_ that... what if Rita had some nuclear device inside of the Monster? What if she _wanted_ the Monster to explode so she could nuke all of Angel Grove? If you had known that and the Rangers didn't ask, they would have exploded everyone!" Saba declared.

"Well, if I knew that I would've informed them." Zordon stated.

"If you knew to look. There have been times things have happened that they knew about before you did. Eye Guy coming back, for example. He attacked that Willy boy before the Rangers came to us." Saba retorted.

"True... So what do you think?" Zordon asked.

"We need to be more controlling. We can't let them go about, doing things without reporting to us. I mean... they're only _Human_." Saba suggested.

"Well... I don't know. How will they grow to be logical thinkers? How will that help them grow _at all_?" Zordon asked.

Saba furrowed his brow. "We're not here to teach these kids how to become adults. We're here to win a war, to protect your artifacts from getting into the hands of the United Alliance of Evil. And they have volunteered to follow your lead, in essence to be your tools. This isn't a _growing experience_ for them. No... this is a job that needs to get done, regardless of _them_."

Zordon sighed. "I guess you have a point..."

Working on in silence, Zordon felt uneasy. Although he had been a scientist in the Alliance, Master Orion had always tried to build him up. Even when he first had become a Morphing Master, Orion had continually tried to pull Zordon to the side, to teach him and help him not be so arrogant or heartless. Looking back at that point, Zordon realized that cold and heartless part of him was the attributes and memory traces he had inherited from Zordon-A, and not who he really was. But according to Saba, those were some attributes he needed to have at that point with the Rangers. Not caring about them per say, but more leading them like puppets. But... something about that didn't sit right with him. Was that the right thing to do? Keep them out of the loop on even more things? What would have happened to him had not Master Orion tried to mold him?

 _Then Burai would still be alive. I wouldn't have gotten so emotionally involved with Tria that I would've spiraled into depression for supposedly failing her._ Zordon thought to himself, though it sounded more like _Zordon-A_ was speaking to _Zordon-B_.

 _But I wouldn't have loved like I did... had the life I did..._ Zordon tried to convince himself.

 _And how did your love for Trinity work out? It created Zrin, who became a pawn to be used by Prime, an enemy._

 _I... I..._

 _Collateral damage. Zordon... we need to toughen back up a bit. You didn't even want Burai involved in the fighting, but because you_ _felt bad for him_ _you started letting him out more and more to fight._

 _It wasn't my place to tell him not to do what he felt was right!_

Yes it

 _was_ _! As general of the Resistance... the only force fighting Dark Specter... it_ _was_ _your duty to tell people what to do!_

And with that, the fighting in himself subsided. Confused and not sure what course of action to take with the five teens with ATTITUDE he had enlisted, Zordon simply continued working, drawing out plans in the sand alongside Saba.

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B**_

 _Ah... Arkham Asylum. Much friendlier than Belle Reve..._ The Joker thought as he sat on a bench.

"Heya, Mr. J?" Harley Quinn asked him as she hung off his arm, sitting next to him. "Why are we just clowning around here? Why aren't we trying to get back at the Batman?"

Joker began laughing maniacally. "The Bats? Ha! Did you see how that old man kicked my tail? I'm... I'm not ready for him _yet_. Or that whelp who calls himself the 'Beyond' version of ol' Batsy. No... I'm not yet ready. I need more practice. More _refinement_."

"And how are you gonna get _that_ , Mr. J?" Harley asked.

"I've already started, my dear Harley!" Joker cackled as the Riddler walked past the two seated clowns. "Don't you see? I have _respect_ here! I'm the King of Belle Reve!"

"I thought everyone was just _afraid_ of you..." Harley stated.

"Fear, respect... same end goal. Whatever." Joker stated, shrugging. "In the end, it all means the _same thing_. I have these lunatics on _my side_. And when I feel it is time... I will unleash them all upon Gotham! What Ra's al Ghul wanted my father to do, to destroy the status quo, would begin _there_. Once Gotham, a powerful industrial giant in the world, falls to me? Well, my dear Harley... then I will be king of not only Belle Reve... not only _Gotham City_... but of the whole world! Ah-hahahaha!"

. . .

"This is Terry." Batman Beyond stated as he lurked through the piping. "Can you get a visualize, Bruce?"

In the Batcave, Bruce Wayne nodded. "I'm hearing this loud and clear. Now stop moving so I can get get _visuals_."

Beyond frowned. "You could've just _asked_... ya grouch."

Bruce ignored Batman Beyond and focused on the camera visuals which began to roll in. As the camera Beyond had pierced through the wall using different tech Wayne Enterprises had created, he saw General McKnight standing before Dr. Harlan, Dr. Phenomenus, Dr. Beckett, and a young man he'd never seen before.

"Computer: identify." Bruce ordered.

"Raymond Berkovich. Graduate student at Angel Grove University." The computer replied after running facial recognition.

"Hmph. Another Souper." Bruce stated.

"What do you think they're up to?" Beyond asked.

"I don't know. Let's listen up..." Bruce replied.

"... and using the boy Willy's tech genius, I was able to apply it perfectly to Ziggy." Raymond concluded.

"Oh, Al is gonna be so excited to hear this..." Becket was heard muttering under his breath with a smile.

"Great." McKnight stated. "The Quantum Ranger will be the prototype ranger. We'll be able to use that Ortiz girl to read the Time Energy flowing through the universe and then use the virtual reality simulator to tap into that Time Energy and bring it all to _life_. We will be able to read what has happened in the past. See it through the Quantum Ranger's helmet. He will be our greatest weapon to see what has happened in the past to fix our present."

Phenomenus laughed. "Yes! And he will be able to peer into the future and help us avoid catastrophes. He will then use that knowledge to be able to go into battle and beat the _aliens_!"

"Yes." Harlan said, nodding slowly. "It will be perfect. Quantum Ranger and his team will be able to, with practice, peer into the future _as they fight_. They will be able to see what the enemy will do and prevent it. Save themselves and their tech. Stop the villain from performing at all. And still be home in time for dinner. And the best part is, while they defend Earth from space, Global Strike will be down here on Earth fighting anyone who slips through on gets here."

McKnight frowned. "But what of Human error? We can't eliminate that. And _when_ they make a mistake, our enemies will have this tech."

"No, they won't. We have used tech we had lying around and we will implant in into the Rangers themselves. We will be monitoring them, and if they do anything to compromise this tech... _whamo_!" Phenomenus stated, clapping his hands loudly. "The tech will explode!"

"Along with the Ranger..." Batman Beyond growled with anger.

Bruce sneered. "They're using the tech Amanda Waller and Thunderbolt Ross used back in the fifties... They're making a Ranger team based on tech from the _Suicide Squad_!"

"And with the ability to manipulate Time..." Beyond said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I've learned enough about McKnight and Rex that we _cannot_ let them have tech like that." Bruce stated. "But it's not going to be easy to stop them. Terry? We're going to have to bring the old team back together. If we're going to stop Project Quantum Leap from launching the Quantum Ranger and giving Rex the power he needs to see through Time... we're going to need to reform the Justice League!"

. . .

Dr. Kaplan sat at his desk at Angel Grove High School. He was looking over names of the candidates who he wanted for Global Strike. The names he kept landing on were Tommy Oliver, Aisha Campbell, Adam Park, Rocky DeSantos, Alphabet Soup scientist Clark Fairweather, and an Australian athlete named Catherine Sutherland. As he did, he sighed. Every attempt to get to the four teens who weren't already in Alphabet Soup seemed to always fail. Erroneously, Kaplan believed it was Zordon behind the foiled attempts. He knew not it was Zrin, the man Future: Omega Ranger recognized as the Phantom Ranger aka Nathadian Ranger.

Suddenly, something on one of his desk monitors caught his attention. It was Kimberly Ann Hart and Billy Cranston walking through the hallways. That in and of itself wasn't what caught his attention. It was what they were wearing and how they were acting. They were clad in so much leather that it would've made Bulk and Skull blush. They were also acting like common _meatheads_ , picking on people and bullying them.

 _Completely out of character..._ Kaplan thought, amazed.

He was shocked when Zack tried to, nonchalantly, speak to the duo before being shoved to the side. Kim the did what Kaplan thought he'd never see Kim do: ask Skull out on a date. What shocked him even further was when Billy asserted himself as the new alpha, pushing Bulk up against lockers and making him cry.

As he cried, Kaplan noted how the seven were the only ones left in the hall, the other students having run out to their classes in fear of the obvious fight they thought was coming (they hadn't seen Bulk break down into tears). Then, as Skull comforted Bulk, Kaplan frowned as the five Power Teens were teleported away.

"Zordon... interferring _again_!" Kaplan raged.

"Hey... where did the geeks go?" Skull wondered, looking around.

"No... not _geeks_ Skull..." Bulk said, voice trembling. "Bullies!"

. . .

Zordon and Saba watched as the three normal teens stood before them, while Kim and Billy were trapped in their cage Alpha 5 had set up for the duo. Zordon explained to the team how Baboo had poisoned some of their drinks, turning Billy and Kimberly into warped versions of themselves. Zordon then showed them images he had, transmitted to the Viewing Globe from his memories via Nathadian Magic, about the Singing Squash he had discovered when he had accidentally been caught between dimensions after Amaradon Ranger had first become the Wizard of Deception and had sent him there on Dramak 5.

He explained that some chemicals from the Singing Squash, something he learned about over the years after having studied the plant, would be able to neutralize the chemical the Order of Meledon showed him was flowing through Billy and Kimberly's veins. He saw the look of defeat on the three sober Rangers' faces as they heard the news.

As the teens heard the Squash "sing", Zack shook his head. "I don't know what's worse: those Putties or that Squash."

"Or your pants..." Saba said, laughing as he elbowed Zordon in the ribs and pointing at the pants Zack was wearing.

Zordon then frowned. The Monster Alarm started, revealing to the teens a Monster had been sent. What made Zordon frown even more was what Monster had been sent: Terror Toad. A being who Kamen Rider: Decade had battled eons earlier. Kamen had told Zordon over the years of the horror that he had seen on Sorcery 7, of how he had been unable to save the citizens of that planet from the evils of Terror Toad. How he had made friends with a man named Sed on that planet, and how he sacrificed himself to ensure the rest of the universe wouldn't have to face the terrible toad. Kamen had related to Zordon how often he would awake in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat with nightmares of Sorcery 7, watching it explode from space. Even though the clay vessel housing Terror Toad's Spirit wasn't as powerful as his original body, Zordon could see through his scanners how much of a threat Terror Toad was. He would not let what happened to Sorcery 7 happen to Earth.

Zordon watched as the three Rangers attempted to fight the Monster. Even as a full time, Zordon feared that the Rangers couldn't defeat Terror Toad. Just as he feared, one by one Zack and Trini were transported into the dimension in Terror Toad's stomach. Meanwhile, Alpha 5 had grabbed a Singing Squash (after being attacked by some Putties) and had rushed it back to the Command Center. To Zordon's relief, the two teens were brought back to normal and ready to join the fight.

As they drank, the Command Center's scanner finally found a weak spot on Terror Toad: his horn. Relaying the information to Billy and Kim, Zordon watched them morph and teleport to the scene of the battle. Zordon gasped, though, when Jason was swallowed during combat.

"No!" Zordon yelled.

Saba folded his arms. "And look at that. Mere seconds into battle, Kimberly has already found a weak spot Jason failed to note during the entire battle. I'm telling you, Zordon... he's not meant to lead this team."

"There won't _be_ a team if the Rangers can't do something about this." Zordon declared. "I'm going in. Ancient source: Mele-"

"No!" Saba yelled. "We can't let Rita know you can get out of the Command Center. You know how much she'll try to nuke the whole planet if she or Dark Specter hears that 'Meledon Ranger is back on Earth'?"

"But what do we do!?" Zordon demanded.

"We wait and see if Billy and Kim can do this. If there are as competent as I see them to be, then they'll be fine." Saba stated.

"I hope you're right..." Zordon said, frowning.

Soon thereafter, Billy's plan failed. Zordon clenched his fist, ready to jump in and suffer the consequences afterward. But, before he could, Kimberly was able to use her Power Bow to release several arrows into Terror Toad. That was enough to release the Rangers. In a matter of moments, Jason had seen how Kim had been successful and ordered her to release another arrow at Terror Toad. Breathing in deeply, the Pink Ranger infused as much Morphing Energy as she could into her arrow and released it. The arrow flew right into Terror Toad's mouth and destroyed him.

"Do you see?" Saba stated. "Kim was able to handle it all on her own."

"She did do well, but..." Zordon added. "Jason was at one with the Order of Meledon. He hadn't even _seen_ how effective Kimberly's arrows were, but... he _felt_ it. He _knew_. He's been taking to heart the extra meetings he's been having with me, Saba. He _is_ the one destined to lead this team."

"I still believe Billy is a better candidate, but regardless they pulled it off." Saba said. "Once again, our Power Rangers saved the world. But Rita is upping her game..."

Zordon nodded. "Saba? We need to finish up and get the Thunder powers ready immediately. I have a feeling we'll need it sooner rather than later..."

. . .

"Eureka!" Rose shouted.

"What is it?" Mora asked, shocked.

"I... I found it!" Rose stated, amazed that within a few days she had made a breakthrough. "I have found a link to the Morphing Grid."

"Excellent." McKnight stated, walking into the room. "We'll take it from here. Richie? Escort them back to their rooms."

"Wait!" Rose cried out. "No!"

"Why?" McKnight asked.

Rose was stunned. She'd forgotten she was being watched. Monitored. She had been so wrapped up in being happy that she'd found what she was assigned to find by _accident_ that she hadn't thought about how that was going to affect her plan to escape. She had to think quickly about why she needed to stay on the project.

"I... I don't know if the Morphing Grid's entry point there was any polarity issues. We wouldn't want any drastic feedback blasts, right?" Rose asked, lying.

"Right... Let us know when you find it." McKnight stated, turning and walking out with Richie.

As McKnight left, Rose nodded slowly to herself. _Okay... time to_ _accelerate_ _this plan into_ _overdrive_ _!_

"Okay, General McKnight," Richie stated as he walked beside his general, trying to look as if walking beside him wasn't intimidating. "I'm heading back to the field. This will be my fourth attempt at capturing DeSantos, Campbell, and Park."

McKnight shook his head. "Forget those three... I'm sick and tired of hearing you come back saying that you were ambushed, or that somehow you lost them. Zordon obviously is protecting them. No... we need to focus on someone else first. Richie? Call for a karate tournament in Angel Grove. A championship. Tommy Oliver is the champion of his city, correct?"

"Yes, the San Angeles champion." Richie answered.

"Perfect. We'll make him come _voluntarily_. And with Zordon distracted here in Angel Grove, Tommy Oliver will be ours for the taking!" McKnight stated happily.

Richie nodded. _And it will give me the opportunity I need to get close to Jason. I'm going to watch him and figure out how to drain his power low enough so I can strike. Soon, I will not only hand over Tommy to Alphabet Soup, but Jason as well!_

. . .

"Uncle Steve", or Agent S, was driving with Kimberly sitting next to him. He looked at her and smiled.

"You seem kinda tense." Steve stated. "Hard day at school?"

"Yeah, I guess..." Kim said. "I... I kinda asked a kid out on a date, but my mind wasn't in the right place when I did that. I... I later told him I wouldn't do it."

"And that's got you bothered?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I... he looked really hurt when I told him I wouldn't go. And I wasn't really nice about it." Kim said, adding the last part while looking down at her feet.

"Well... I'm sure you did what you felt was best, right?" Steve asked.

"No... It's just that whenever I'm around him, I get really upset. He just crawls under my skin, ya' know?" Kim stated, still looking down.

"I trust you, Kim." Steve said as he pulled into a gas station. "Say, could you run inside and pre-pay for the gas? Here's a twenty. Just give the guy all of it."

"Okay, Unlce Steve." Kim said, casually grabbing the dollar bill.

"And Kim?" Steve stated. "I'm proud of you regardless of what you do, okay? You're a great person. Say, how's about I take you up on my plane with me the next time I go, okay?"

Smiling, Kim nodded. "Wow... uh, thanks Uncle Steve. Thanks a lot!"

As she jumped out of the car, Steve pulled out a pocket device. "This is Agent S. Everything is going according to plan. The target singlehandedly defeated a Monster today by tapping into the Morphing Grid. As predicted by the Traveler, she is growing into her own and becoming the weapon we need her to become. And, she is beginning to ignore her intuition about me and trust me. If things progress as planned, she will soon be a Freelancer to the Traveler."

. . .

Goldar began laughing in the Dark Dimension. In his hands, the Time Device turned on. Only for a moment, but it did indeed turn on.

 _Yes! It's almost time!_ Goldar thought, victoriously. _The time will soon come when I, the almighty Goldar, will use the Time Device! And... when I do... I will change the universe_ _forever_ _!_


	10. Ch 10:PeaceLoveWoeFoulPlayDarkWarriors

**Chapter Ten: Peace, Love, and Woe; Foul Play; Dark Warriors**

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B**_

"Li! No!" Trini yelled as she saw her brother fall into the river. "I've gotta save him! It's morphin' time! Huh!?"

Trini looked down in confusion as she couldn't feel her morpher tucked into the back of her belt loop. Then she noticed how... _different_ her hands looked. _Younger_.

"I'm a little kid again!? What's going on!?" Trini demanded.

With no time to think of it any longer, Trini realized she would need to deal with that later. Sprinting ahead, she tried to catch up with Li. Tears were steaming down her cheeks as her little body attempted to get to her older brother. Deep down inside, she knew it would be to no avail.

"Trini Kwan... I have _found_ you."

"Huh!?" Trini gasped, suddenly ripped from the dream she was in.

She found herself in a white room. It was so white she could almost not tell it was a room. Focusing, though, she could see the indents where the walls met with each other, for floor, and the ceiling. Being fully conscious due to no longer being in a dream, she reached for her morpher. Dread swept over her as she realized that, just like in her dream, it was gone.

"You won't be needing that, Ms. Kwan," The voice stated.

"Who are you!? Come out and show yourself!" Trini demanded.

"As you wish..."

Right before Trini's eyes, a portal opened up. She had never seen such a thing, but Future: Omega Ranger had. The Time Force Cameras had picked up a disturbance occurring around Trini as she slept, prompting Sam's Chrono Workstation to check on her. The Time Force equipment had been unable to detect anything, but using his Third Eye Ability he had received from the Alpha Ranger, Future: Omega Ranger had been able to not only peer into Trini's dream, but follow her essence as it was transported to the room in which Trini found herself. A room which seemed to exist outside of Time, and a place that seemed to have a definition of Space the Hall of Legends was unable to quantify.

. . .

 _ **Dreamworld**_

"Who are you!?" Trini demanded as she saw a man enter from the portal.

The man wore a brown robe. It extended down to his feet, but was open at the front revealing a beige top and dark grey pants. Off what looked to be a belt was some sort of device that hung to the side. It was a silver device, with what seemed to be many handles. Its main body looked to be a long shaft. Off one side was a crescent shaft with what Trini thought of as three candle stick shafts protruding out from it. Both Trini and Sam thought of one thing about it:it looked to be a weapon.

The man wore dark green goggles with deep black lenses. The dark lenses seemed impenetrable, leaving no way for Trini to look into the mysterious person's eyes. That made her nervous. One thing Trini liked to do when meeting someone was to look them in the eyes. She always felt as if that was a good way to peer into someone's soul. Due to the man's dark lenses, it made it seem as if he was soulless.

What further intrigued her was what looked like circuitry running down onto the man's hands. She couldn't see past his wrist due to the long robe, but stretching down onto his hand and to his fingertips the circuits went. To where on his body, Trini couldn't tell. Surprisingly enough, neither could Future: Omega Ranger. He tried reading the man's body, but could get nothing using Auron's Third Eye. Even trying to read his mind, Sam was getting nothing but static. The same he got when he would try to read the mind of a Freelancer or Watcher.

And there was one other thing that caught the attention of both rangers: the multicolored rings on his fingers. The circuits seemed to be connected to the rings, furthering the mystery of the circuitry and what they may have meant. Trini had never seen rings like them, but Sam had. At least a few of them. The green ring was definitely the same ring Omega Ranger had seen on the old hero from the fifties named Green Lantern. After doing some quick backtracking research into what he had archived, Sam was able to see what the other rings he had seen before were. The yellow one was what the evil Green Lantern, Sinestro, had worn. The red ring was a ring of Rage the villains of the Superhero Registration Act had worn when fighting the various superheroes in Metropolis. And one of the two golden rings the traveler wore had a lightning bolt on it. That ring was the ring Sam had seen the old hero, The Flash, wear upon his hand. Knowing the Green Lantern ring corresponded with the Green Energy of Willpower, the Yellow Lantern Ring held the energy of Fear, and the red ring was using the parasitic energy from the Emotional Spectrum of Rage. Using logic, Sam deduced the pink ring to be Love, the purple ring to be Compassion, the orange ring be for Greed, the white ring to represent Life, the black ring corresponding with Death, and the blue ring of Hope. Each ring sat on a single digit, except for the Flash Ring. A second golden ring sat atop the golden Flash Ring. Omega Ranger could only tell that the ring had _a lot_ of Time Energy flowing from it. On the ring was a golden "L" with what appeared to be a star next to it surrounded by a black background.

 _Who_ _are_ _you...?_ Omega Ranger thought.

"Who I am is of no concern to you right now, Sam," The man said.

"What!?" Omega Ranger gasped.

"Excuse me?" Trini asked, confused.

"Time travelers..." Omega Ranger muttered from his seat nearly sixty years in the future.

"Now, Trini... I have been looking for you for quite a while. You are at the middle of it," The Hooded Man said. "I am here to get you on your way. To prepare you... To make you into who I want you to be."

"Why should I trust you!?" Trini demanded, taking a step back. "Let me go!"

"You are the key, Trini," The Hooded Man stated. "In every probability I have seen, you die."

Trini swallowed hard. Not only did the use of the term "die" make her cringe (as it was considered a harsh word in her universe), but the sheer fact a man was telling her she was destined to _die_ freaked her out. She didn't know where to run, but she felt as if she had to. She was scared, and she also felt powerless.

"You're scared, but you don't need to be," The Hooded Man stated. "I have your best interests at heart."

"What do you want from me!?" Trini screamed.

"I wish to train you. To make you into the person you need to be so that you _don't_ perish like the others in other Times. The other Trinis," The Hood Man said.

"Why me?" Trini asked, her knowledge of string theory coming to mind. "Why not any other of the others?"

"I have read the Timelines. Events which will come soon made your Timeline pop out as opposed to the others. Soon your Timeline will be the focal point to many Time Anomalies. This leads me to believe you are the one who can make a difference. I... I cannot let you perish," The Hooded Man stated.

"Why!? What are you afraid of!? Why should I believe you, or do anything you say!?" Trini demanded.

"Because, mortal... I can do _this_." The Hooded Man declared, lifting up his left hand.

Future: Omega Ranger watched as he saw the circuits on that hand light up with a florescent-like light. As the circuits fired up, he noticed the White Lantern Ring glow. In a brilliant flash, the ring erupted and from the White Energy which came from the ring stood a young boy in front of Trini. It was her older brother, Li.

"Li!? Wha... what!? What is this!?" Trini gasped, rushing forward to hug her brother.

"Huh? Where... where am I? Who are you people?" Li asked, looking around.

"How? How did you do this...?" Trini asked, crying.

"I have many powers," The Hooded Man stated simply as Li vanished from Trini's arms.

"Where is he!? What did you do to him!?" Trin screamed.

"Although I have many powers, they are limited. I was able to pull him from the Afterlife, but only for a moment without... repercussions. If you wish for me to operate at my full abilities, then you must do as I say," The Hooded Man stated.

"What if you're lying to me?" Trini said, still crying. Sam could _feel_ the pain in her voice as it trembled with each breath.

"What if I'm not?"

Trini kneeled for a moment where Li had once been. Her chest was heaving as she continued to sob, harder at that point than before. The feeling in her hands was still warm from touching Li. She knew he had been real and that it wasn't an illusion. If she could get him back...

"Okay," Trini stated. "What do you want me to do?"

The man with the black lenses nodded. His vacant face looked into hers, seemingly studying her yet no one having any way of knowing. The rest of his facial features did not move, showing no indication of his thought processes.

"I will come to you again... once Time splits. I do not wish to create a paradox, or another me. I am seeing right now my mistake in coming to you so early," The Hooded Man stated as his Time Portal opened up once again behind him.

That made Trini upset. "You call me a 'mortal', but you're just as fallible as me! You just showed me you made a mistake! How can I trust someone like that."

For the first time, the Hooded Man smiled. "You're right. I'm not perfect. I make mistakes. But are you willing to risk Li? Are you willing to lose him again? You wanted to be a hero to him, Trini. Now is your chance. I will visit you again. I will know whether you accepted my offer if you do not tell _anyone_ about my visit. The moment you do, our deal is off and Li will be lost to you, this time forever."

"Ah!" Trini yelled, bolting upright in bed upon "waking up".

Her mother rushed into the room. "Trini, dear! Are you okay?"

Trini was drenched in a cold sweat. She looked around her room at her doll collection. At Mr. Ticklesneezer, then at her mother. She had been great to her, never letting Li's tragedy slow her down from being good to her family. But, deep down, Trini knew her mother had never fully recovered from losing Li. Just like she herself had not. Trini then thought about how perhaps she could not only be a hero to Li, but to her whole family. Her mother in particular.

Making her decision, she looked to her mother and smiled. "I'm good, mother. Just a nightmare."

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B**_

As Billy sat in his lab, he jumped as he heard something behind him. He spun around and grabbed for his morpher. Before he could morph, he stopped and smiled.

"Oh, it's just you Jack." Billy stated, sighing as he saw his pet mouse gnawing on the steel of his cage.

Ever since he had been swallowed by Terror Toad, Billy had been having anxiety attacks. Any little thing would catch him offguard. Flashes of being trapped in the pocket dimension inside of Terror Toad would come to his mind. As he thought about that, at that moment, another memory surged. It was of the moment right before Kimberly had freed them.

 _"It's burning through my suit!" The Red Ranger screamed._

 _"I can't breathe!" Black Ranger yelled. "I gotta take off my helmet!"_

 _"No, Zack! Don't!" The Yellow Ranger ordered. "The fumes from this gastric acid will knock you out."_

 _"Affirmative," Billy heard himself say as the Blue Ranger in his memory. "And if you fall into the acid without your suit on, it won't take too long before you're horribly disfigured by the acidic properties of this chemical mixture. And then it will lead to eventual expiration."_

 _"Huh?" Black Ranger asked._

 _"You'll be destroyed by the stomach acid if you fall into it without your helmet on." Yellow Ranger translated, as she normally did._

 _"We gotta get out of here, guys..." Red Ranger said, dropping to a knee. "We can't let this thing eat everything. We beat Pudgy Pig, we can beat this guy, too..."_

 _Blue Ranger looked around. Not only were they ankle deep in stomach acid, but frequent bursts of acid would shoot out of the walls surrounding them. The walls appeared to be organic, and Billy assumed they were the stomach lining of Terror Toad. What he knew not was how he was in another dimension. An organic one tied to that Terror Toad in particular, whose organic nature was the link between it and Terror Toad. Slowly but surely as "food" Terror Toad ate got digested, the victims would be converted into energy that was transported to Terror Toad, causing his metabolic processes to keep him alive. In the end, it was essentially the same as if Terror Toad had a stomach, yet the workings behind the fact were different._

 _"Jason... ya gotta... get up!" Black Ranger said, limping over to help the Red Ranger off his feet._

 _"I... I... I can't breathe..." Yellow Ranger had gasped._

 _"Our communicators are still jammed..." Blue Ranger declared._

 _He had been the newest one to be swallowed by the Monster, and due to that fact was also the one to be experiencing the least amount of side effects. It was horrible for him, though, because he was watching his older friends, the ones who he leaned upon for support, begin to succumb to Terror Toad. He felt powerless to stop them._

 _"We have to get out of here!" He cried out, pulling out his Blade Blaster._

 _"Zack!" Red Ranger cried out as he fell over into the acid._

 _As he tried to help Black Ranger up, the Yellow Ranger also fell unconscious. "Billy! We... we gotta... ugh!"_

 _"No!" Billy screamed as he saw the Red Ranger, the leader of the team, fall face first into the stomach acid. "Jason! Trini! Zack! No!"_

 _He begin shooting wildly at the organic matter keeping him prisoner. "No! No! No! Let us out of here! Help! Zordon! Someone please!_

 _Help!"_

 _And before he could utter another sound, he found himself thrown out of Terror Toad along with the rest of his team. Kimberly had found a way to save them. And_

 _just_ _in the nick of time..._

Billy shook his head. "Okay, Jack... I'm gonna go to the Juice Bar. I need to clear my head... And help get the place read for the dance."

. . .

Ernie stood at the back, putting the final touches on the cake for the dance. He knew in that cake was a batch of chemicals meant for the "boosting" of all those teenagers who were unknowingly trapped within the confines of Alphabet Soup. And he was the one to deliver them to those who he had learned to think of as friends.

As the youth gathered to put the finising touches on the dance which was occurring, Ernie noticed Bulk skateboarding around the Juice Bar. He was bound to make a mess of things.

 _That idiot is gonna run into something and ruin something for the dance! Oh, wait a minute..._

Rushing over with the cake, Ernie had planned it perfectly. Before long, Bulk had skated headfirst into Ernie's cake. Not only did he help stop Bulk from hurting someone, but he also destroyed that particular batch of toxins Dr. Kaplan had made for the party.

"You _sure_ that's where you wanted to go, Bulk?" Skull asked innocently as everyone began to laugh.

 _This disaster helped avert another disaster. Ernie Finestein, you dog!_ Ernie thought, proud of himself.

. . .

"Where _is_ Goldar, anyway?" Squatt asked as he and Baboo hovered over Finster's work desk.

"Oh, I don't know. He has been acting very oddly lately," Finster stated. "It reminds me of how Commander Scorpius would act around the Morphing Masters shortly before he decided he was going to defect from the United Alliance."

"You were a member of Scorpius' team!?" Baboo asked. "Wow, I didn't know that!"

"Yes. After Zordon had me fired from the Alliance for wanting to make legal the tech that he hypocritically currently sports, I worked for Scorpius. That was until I saved Lord Zedd from certain annihilation," Finster stated as he continued to work.

" _You_ save Lord Zedd from annihilation!? Really!?" Squatt asked.

"Yes I did. I'm the one who developed his sleeping technology that keeps him fueled. It's based off of the same system Scorpius used to become the being he is now," Finster stated proudly.

Baboo pursed his lips. "But... going back to what you said about Goldar... you said he's acting like how Scorpius did before he betrayed the Alliance. Are you saying Goldar is planning _mutiny_!?"

"Well, I-" Finster began.

"Get to work, you good for nothing loafers!" Rita screeched as she stomped into the laboratory.

"Whatever you say my queen!" Finster said as Squatt and Baboo ran to a corner of the room.

"Well don't just stand around playing with clay! I need a Monster _right now_!" Rita roared, impatient and angry.

"Yes, yes!" They all stammered.

Suddenly, a thought sparked in Rita's mind. "Madame Woe!"

Future: Omega Ranger was taken aback by how, yet again, Rita was calling forth an old enemy who had at one point been instrumental in the downfall of the United Alliance during the days leading to the Final Siege. He had learned how millions of years prior Madame Woe was really a group of three sisters from a Witch coven. They were named Prue, Phoebe, Piper, and Paige. They had gotten entangled with the madman from the Nathadian Universe named Lothor. He trapped them in a crystal, a pocket dimension so that he could summon them and control them, placing their essence in a doll body he created. Over the years the Crystal Eye housing them was passed down from evil generation to evil generation. It seemed to Future: Omega Ranger that Rita was the newest holder of that particular Crystal Eye and was ready to summon one of the Witches to do her evil bidding. Madame Woe had returned and was going to give the Power Rangers yet another fight for their lives.

. . .

Jason, Kimberly, Billy, and Trini watched as Zack began to dance, offering his master dance skills to teach Billy for the big day that night. Billy and Trini, both preoccupied with what had occurred to them that morning, put on brave faces and attempted to let the happenings of the moment help them forget about their troubles. One dealing with a form of PTSD, the other dealing with the fact she had met an extradimensional being who wanted to train her to become his weapon for whatever reason.

All the while, in the back of the refrigerator/food area of Ernie's kitchen, sat Dr. Kaplan in his secret monitoring office. Just by looking at Billy and Trini's body language he could tell that they were feeling uncomfortable to say the least.

"Maybe, if they are feeling down, this is my way to get an 'in' with one of the rangers..." Kaplan thought outloud. "I know... Yes!"

Pushing a button on his console, he heard Richie Mendoza's voice echo through the intercom. "Richie? Get me Agent Michale. Tell her to start on the assignment we had planned for her..."

Within moments, Agent Michale had gotten into position just as had been planned. She walked into the Youth Center and ran into Billy. One thing led to another, from her using large words to acting cumbersome around Billy, and she had seemingly won the heart of Billy Cranston. Not only did she act the way Dr. Kaplan had predicted would have Billy get attracted to someone, but he was also very, very sensitive and _needy_ at that point. Agent Michale (who introduced herself as "Marge") was exactly what he needed to distract himself. What pleased him even more was how _she_ invited _him_ to go to the dance that night. Everything seemed great. Billy thought he had something to help ease his mind. He had no way of knowing he was getting involved with the enemy.

. . .

Madame Woe awoke on a beach. Before her was an altar which seemed familiar to her. The Witch inside of her was Prue, and after a moment she remembered everything. It was always jarring for the sisters whenever they were plucked from their pocket dimension. After recovering from the disorientation, though, she rushed to the altar. Hoping against hope, she began an incantation to call out to her Witch and Warlock associates.

"Let the power of the sun, the wind, and the sea gather... gather together and _come to me_!" Madame Woe/Prue proclaimed.

Rita looked down upon her from the Moon Palace. She frowned, seeing that her newest asset was not completely under her control. Finster had placed the new Madame Woe doll on the beach to have her awaken on Earth, but Rita hadn't thought she would've been unable to use her as a puppet right off the bat. Usually, from what she saw of her father when he would summon forth Madam Woe, there were no issues of being able to manipulate Woe's mind. Apparently Rita wasn't exerting herself enough. She knew not that it was due to the Rage Lord Zedd had placed in her magical scepter, which was interfering with the Crystal Eye. Clutching the Crystal Eye tightly, she called down to Prue to get control of her anew.

"Madame Woe!"

Prue's mind was suddenly getting foggy as she replied. "Why do you call me?"

"You can control the sun." Rita said as she waved her arms before her crystal ball, speaking with Prue.

"That and much more, Empress Rita!" Prue declared, falling into a mental haze and believing herself to be an ally of Master Vile's daughter. "All my powers are at your command!"

Rita smiled. Her thoughts about Madame Woe from her youth had been correct. She remembered during the battle for Decrof seeing Madame Woe battling against Master App. The way she moved... the way she fought during that battle led Rita to believe that she was a Witch. She had never seen Master Vile attempt to use her Witch powers, but Rita had done enough research to know what a Witch's potential power was. To be able to control the sun, so to speak, was instrumental. She knew Madame Woe had the potential, if she were in fact a Witch for reasons Rita did not know why, to cause solar eclipses. She knew the Alliance at the time had many of their machinery be powered by Solar Energy. Rita had a plan originally to use Madame Woe to blot out Onyx's sun so that she could cripple the Alliance, but one thing led to another and her plans went unfulfilled. Knowing her opponent, though, she figured Zordon would follow the same protocols he had as head of Research and Development. She was certain he still used Solar Energy powered devices. And she was certain she could use Madame Woe to her advantage to cripple the meddling Wizard.

Rita felt Madame Woe's powers enter her. Rita laughed as it occurred. She felt her own Blue Magic be amplified by a _new_ level of Magic. The Green Magic entering her... she could feel it enable her to feel things she had never felt before. She could feel the little amount of Lifestream coursing through the Moon, pumping beneath her. She could sense the distant Lifestream of Earth and how potent it was, and also the Anti-Lifestream of Earth otherwise known as the Sanzu River. And she could feel that if she could focus hard enough... that she could be a Lifestream Bender. She could manipulate it as a weapon. She could use the Ultima spell.

Realizing she needed to practice the new power she had been so "generously" given by Prue, Rita ordered Madame Woe to the park. She had overheard Billy tell "Marge" that they would meet there. She then left Madame Woe to do her bidding as she went to practice in her private chambers.

On her bed, she closed her eyes. She began to feel a bit of Lifestream from the Moon enter her. She began to feel younger, more rejuvenated as she had years prior, before being trapped in the dumpster Zordon had put her. As she focused, her subconscious felt a familiar force fall upon her.

 _Rita, my dear..._ The Ghost of Darkness subconsciously told her. _I can feel your power has been amplified. As you tap the Lifestream, you are reinvigorating the cells I gave you... the cells that are meant to bring forth the Reunion! Come back to me, Rita. Come-!_

On the barren planet the Ghost of Darkness had settle upon, the skull that his Spirit resided in roared in anger. He could feel that something had interfered with his attempt to gain control over Rita again. That something had cut him off.

"Who dares to interfere with me!?" The Ghost of Darkness roared, Time Magic erupting from him.

" _I do_..." The Hooded Man declared, stepping out from a Time Portal.

"And who are _you_!?" The Ghost of Darkness declared.

"A man on a mission. And you are interfering with it. You are not of this Timeline, and what you do threatens to undermine what I want to do. I must not let you yet tamper with the woman you call Rita," The Hooded Man proclaimed.

"You are not as powerful as you _think_. I can feel how weak you are... Now I don't know how you interfered with me, but it ends here and now!" The Ghost of Darkness declared.

A barrage of Time Magic erupted from the Ghost of Darkness. As it did, the Hooded Man raised up a hand. The Time Magic seemed to stop right before him. They hovered in the air until they dissipated.

"But how!?" The Ghost of Darkness asked. "Yoral!? Destroy him!"

"With pleasure." The Wizard of Deception answered, slipping out from the shadows and launching an attack on the Hooded Man.

Looking as if he'd been taken offguard, the Hooded Man jumped back, narrowly the blast of Zocato power. Frowning, he reached down and grabbed the weapon at his belt. He then turned it on, revealing seven different colored laser beams erupting from the device. He stood, staring his hollow stare at the Wizard of Deception. He waiting until the Wizard attacked, which he did. Catching the beam with one of his blades, he pointed his right hand and shot out a blast of both Orange and Green Energy. The circuits in his left hand then began to spark before his Flash Ring began to glow. He was suddenly speeding around the room. The Ghost of Darkness shot a blast of Time Magic out to slow him down, but the Wizard of Deception was yet having a difficult time blocking the strikes from the lasered weapon.

Suddenly stopping, the Hooded Man looked at the Wizard of Deception. The gold ring with the letter "L" on it began to glow before a portal opened up behind him. He then looked to the Ghost of Darkness.

"You know you don't want another visit from me. Wait until Goldar has done his deed. Then you may do what you wish with Rita. Until then, don't," The Hooded Man warned before slipping away.

As he vanished into the Time Portal, the Wizard of Deception fell to a knee. "Master, that fight set my rehabilitation back a long way. I do not know how long it will take for me to get back to my full strength."

"I know that. And so did he, apparently," The former Dr. Hojo stated. "We do not have much of a choice now, I suppose. Get back and begin your training anew. And until Goldar does whatever it is that man alluded to, I suppose we sit and wait. And it shouldn't be a problem really, anyway. My special cells are planted in Rita regardless. Willingly or not, they will lead her to the Reunion."

. . .

Agent Michale sat, trapped in Madame Woe's dimension. She was frustrated with how she had frozen. Not once had she ever thought that she'd be entangled with a Monster. She was a recon agent from General McKnight, not a fighter. Her inability to act when appropriate had stopped her from defending herself. She had even hoped when she arrived in the dimension that Billy would save her, knowing he was a Power Ranger. She was sorely disappointed when time kept going on and she yet found herself Madame Woe's prisoner.

As she stayed in the dimension for what seemed like an eternity, she suddenly saw the Power Rangers appear right before her very eyes. She then tried to feign ignorance when the Blue Ranger approached her, showing great concern. She thought how idiotic it was for him to basically expose his identity by not having a modulated voice and showing he knew who she was, but it wasn't her assignment to out him. Her assignment was to win him over.

She then watched in shock as the Power Rangers battled Madame Woe. She could tell they were having a difficult time against her, and had begun to fear that perhaps not only they would fall against her, but also herself.

That's when Billy stepped forward and did what he and the team had coordinated before with Zordon: he used the combined powers of the Dino Coins to teleport himself out of the dimension. As he did, Madame Woe predictably gave chase. She had encountered in the past Morphing Masters who had been able to escape by crushing her jewel through trickery, but never before had she seen someone be able to escape by using the pure energy of the Morphing Grid. That sort of power was something that caused her to want to destroy Billy, for the sheer fact she wanted to prove herself to her "Empress Rita", who had discovered Prue's blunder and had given her a verbal bashing about kidnapping Marge over Billy.

Zordon, meanwhile, watched with Saba from the Command Center. He was astonished with how well Billy was channeling the Morphing Grid.

"Worthy of a Morphing Master, eh?" Saba asked, amused.

Zordon nodded. "I'm seeing a side of Billy I never thought I'd seen. He is truly an amazing Power Ranger. I... I know what you see in him now."

"So will you consider making him leader?" Saba asked.

Zordon shook his head. "No. He still is immature. He has much to learn before he can lead this team."

They then watched as Madame Woe was destroyed, once again sending Prue back to her pocket dimension with her sisters. As that happened, Rita threw the Crystal Eye containing the four sisters out of her balcony in a fit of Rage out onto the Moon's surface.

. . .

Billy was having a fine time at the party. He was flirting with Marge, and getting his pride a much needed boost with all the praise she was giving the Blue Ranger for saving her. All according to Kaplan's plan.

Then he spotted Ernie fainting, or at least pretending to faint to destroy yet another cake Kaplan wished the teens to eat. Ernie had then decided to simply go out and dance, a small way to celebrate his act of defiance in plain view of those who were taking advantage of the students he was growing to love. He knew he was going to get into a lot of trouble from Kaplan, and he knew it was going to be difficult to get himself out of being reprimanded. He figured he'd enjoy his time that night while he could before that disciplinary meeting was to happen.

As they were all dancing (to the confusion of Bulk and Skull), "Marge" aka Agent Michale felt her beeper go off. Dismissing herself from Billy, she made her way outside to the back of the building. To no surprise at all, she found herself face to face with Richie, who was standing in front of his black unmarked van.

"What do you want, Agent Mendoza?" She asked, breaking her Marge character and sneering.

"I've been monitoring you. That necklace we gave you? A camera," Richie revealed. "And General McKnight is not pleased with your performance at all."

Michale frowned. "So I'm being reassigned?"

"You could say that." Richie stated as he pulled out his pistol and shot her. He then quickly grabbed her body and placed her gently into the back of his van before jumping into the driver's seat and driving away.

Several hours passed from that point, and the only people left at the party were the Power Teens and Ernie. Billy sat at a table, sad.

"I don't get it," Billy said. "Where did Marge go? I mean, we were having such a great time..."

"Maybe she had an emergency?" Trini offered.

"I don't know..." Billy replied, shrugging. "Anyway, we should all just go home. I'm sure I'll find out what happened eventually."

"Sounds good," Zack said. "Hey, Jase? Let's go get our stuff from our lockers."

As Kimberly and Trini bid farewell to Billy, the Blue Power Ranger stood up and waved goodbye to Ernie, who was cleaning up. He then casually made his way toward the locker area to grab his book bag when he heard Jason and Zack talking.

"That's pretty harsh of Marge, huh?" Zack was heard saying.

"What do you mean? I'm sure she'll call Billy tomorrow or something," Jason answered.

"Nah. I ran to the back to get a drink while Ernie was dancing. I looked out a window and I saw her literally in some guy's arms outside. She's no good for Billy, man," Zack stated, having misread what he saw.

"Oh, man..." Jason said, feeling sorry for his Freshman friend. "Well... let's not tell Billy then, okay? I don't want him getting all bummed out. He seemed pretty excited about her, ya know?"

Billy clenched his fist and turned, running out of the Youth Center. Tears streamed down his face as he was running as fast as he could to his house.

 _It's not fair! I'm a good guy! Why would Marge do this to me!? I mean, I get good grades, I'm nice to everyone, and I even have taken up karate! And none of it helps_ _at all_ _! I... I don't even know why I try..._

As he ran into his garage, he leaned over his lab table still crying. He looked over and saw his karate uniform. Angry, he grabbed it and threw it into the green plastic street trash barrel next to him. He then turned and looked at Jack.

"It's useless, Jack. I'm a failure at _everything_. I guess the only thing I have left is being a Power Ranger, and... _you_." Billy stated sadly, looking at Jack.

. . .

A few days later, Uncle Steve aka Traveler's Freelancer known as Agent S looked around as he stood by his plane on the runway to where he operated as a pilot, waiting for Kimberly. In case she was watching him from afar, he kept up appearances by checking on his watch and drinking a soda.

After a moment, he made his way toward the main building of the airfield to find Kim speaking on the phone. He spoke with her for a bit before going inside to do what he knew a normal pilot would do. He spoke with some of the airfield's workers, pretended to joke with them, and grabbed some maps. He then paused as he felt an incoming message from his pocket device. Sighing, he slipped away to a private room and pulled it out.

"Agent S speaking."

"This is Agent Chen. We have a new development. Rita Repulsa has drugged your beverage you left on your plane to get you to fall asleep. I believe she presumes to kill Kimberly by making you fall asleep and crash the plane."

"That makes no sense. Kimberly can just teleport me out," Agent S stated.

"Yes, well we both know Rita is not in her right mind. I spoke with Traveler about this and he wants you to proceed to pretend to have fallen asleep. He believes it will help Kimberly become the woman we need her to become," Chen relayed.

S nodded. "Order received. Anything else, sir?"

"No, that is all. Chen over and out."

Agent S then gathered his things and met up with Kimberly. As they walked to the plane, Bulk and Skull stopped them, basically begging to be able to go onto the plane with them. Just as the Traveler had predicted and was supposed to have happen in their prior plans, before the ever increasingly difficult to predict Rita (due to the influence from the Ghost of Darkness) had decided to drug "Uncle Steve".

Chen had told Agent S that they wanted Kimberly to, of her own free Will, feel guilty about what happened to them. The Traveler knew Kimberly would get mixed emotions, and wanted her to be able to learn for herself to overcome her natural feelings and do what she believed was right. That would be an important attribute for her in what the Traveler had planned for Kimberly in the future.

And it happened exactly the way Traveler had predicted. Bulk and Skull begged while Kimberly was grossly against it. But... the memory of how badly she had treated Skull after recovering from the "Power Punk" potion came to her mind. She remembered how she had crushed Skull and made him feel horrible. So, despite her objections, she decided she would let Bulk and Skull onto the plane.

In little to no time at all, Agent S pretended to fall asleep. He listened as Kimberly attempted to fly the plane after Bulk and Skull passed out in Fear. As she tried to fly the plane with Alpha 5's help, Agent S could only guess why Zordon didn't just have Kimberly teleport them all out of the plane. He, like Traveler, was testing her. Seeing if she could think for herself to either get herself out of the mess with her brains (by teleporting everyone out) or by learning to fly the plane.

Agent S' assumptions were correct. Zordon and Saba watched on from their Time Warp.

. . .

 _ **Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B**_

"Not the brightest, is she?" Saba asked.

"To be fair, she probably doesn't know we have the capability to teleport others outside the team. We haven't exactly made that a common practice," Replied Zordon.

"But... we teleported her and her friends to the Command Center _before_ they were rangers. Shouldn't it be obvious we could do the same for those three?" Saba asked.

"She's stressed, Saba. Let's just see how this plays out. I'm sure she'll be fine. If not? We'll get her out of there." Zordon said, smiling.

One thing led to another and while Rita unleashed a Monster named Snizzard, Kimberly landed the plane. As Agent S pretended to wake back up, Alpha 5 called for an ambulance. What neither he nor Zordon knew was that their call had gotten tapped, and the team of paramedics that arrived was not one that could be fully trusted. It was one run by Dr. Harlan of Alphabet Soup.

"How is your team?" Dr. Harlan asked over his ear piece.

The leader of the unit, a young man by the name of Clark Fairweather, replied by touching his earpiece. "I'm here. I can see Kimberly Hart and her step-dad. What are my orders?"

"Leave Matt with her. You administer to Bulk and Skull," Harlan said.

As Clark watched the EMTs help Bulk and Skull (by injecting them with more chemicals specially made for them by Dr. Kaplan), Kimberly ran off. She morphed and teleported to the scene of the ongoing fight her teammates were engaged in against the Monster Snizzard. Just as had been predicted by the Traveler, her mental prowess was even more than it had been before her event with the plane. Agent Chen watched from afar off as she singlehandedly took down Snizzard, infusing her Morphing Energy into her bow.

"Chen to Traveler. She is progressing just as planned. Chen over and out." The Freelancer said as he slipped back into his Time Portal.

After the battle, Kimberly rushed back to the airfield to check in on Uncle Steve. Bulk and Skull had already received their injections and were passed out, but as she arrived they were running off.

"Hey, Uncle Steve. Sorry I bolted," She said.

Agent S shrugged. "I know you have things you need to do. Don't worry about it!"

"Uh, young lady?" A paramedic asked. "If you were up there I need to check you out as well."

Kimberly blushed as he spoke to her. He was a handsome young man, and her immature mind caused her to be embarrassed when he said that he wanted to "check her out".

"Um... yeah, sure. Um... where should I go?" Kim asked.

The paramedic, an agent of Alphabet Soup named Matt Parker, smiled. "Just follow me."

A few hours later, Kim found herself sitting with him at the Youth Center. She felt very comfortable with him. It was as if everything he said clicked with her. Just as "Marge" had been coached by Kaplan for Billy, Matt too had been coached in the ways for him to "woo" Kimberly.

As Zack and Jason laughed at the two flirts, Ernie watched Bulk and Skull get into a genuine accident not caused by him and cover themselves in smoothies. Laughing, he turned and noticed Matt for the first time, recognizing him as an agent. He frowned, knowing that Kim was getting pulled deeper and deeper into the trap that was Alphabet Soup. Little did he or anyone else know that the path Kimberly was on also involved Time traveling men who had only one thought for her: to turn her into a weapon.

. . .

Trini watched as Jason led his karate class. It had been two weeks since the attack with Snizzard, and since that time Kimberly had started dating Matt steadily. That left Trini a lot of alone time. By that point, it was definitely something Trini _did not_ want. Her mind was buzzing with thoughts about the Hooded Man and the potential to get Li back. Of course, a part of her felt fortunate, because she was certain the opportunity to blab about the Hooded Man was higher if Kim was around to speak with her about it.

Going through the motions, emotionless, Trini sighed and made her way to Billy at the counter. As she did, she overheard Billy complaining that he wasn't as athletic as Jason was. She frowned, knowing that it'd been a couple of weeks since Billy had dropped out of Jason's karate class. That fact made itself evident fairly quickly after Billy's words when Billy found himself in a confrontation with Bulk and Skull. A far cry from the kid who had been a few weeks earlier been dressed in leather and had _picked Bulk up off the ground_ , Billy found himself quickly dunked into a trash can.

Billy, after being helped out of the can, found himself walking toward Jason. Right then and there, Billy realized what he had to do: he needed to re-enroll into Jason's karate class. Not for the ability to meet girls or look cool. He was going to be able to defend himself, regardless of whether or not he was morphed.

"So, Dr. Kwan is coming into town," General McKnight mentioned to Dr. Harlan.

Harlan smiled wide as he thought about that. "Yes, he is. It's a shame he has distanced himself from Alphabet Soup. I know he'd be a great influence."

"I hear he is constantly doing innovative research," Dr. Phenomenus stated. "I would _love_ to be able to work with him!"

McKnight laughed. "Well guess what? Word has it he has brought one of his projects with him to Angel Grove. Word has it that... Ernie just was able to get it."

"What!? How!?" Harlan gasped, jumping up.

"Well, Dr. Kwan seems to have taken a liking to his niece's friend. A certain Billy Cranston..." McKnight answered. "You see, Howard was always looking to fix things that were broken. After seeing the physically awkward Cranston, he couldn't refuse. And, luckily for us Dr. Kaplan spotted that Kwan had left a jar with a formula in it unattended. We had Agent Finestein grab it and he took a sample of it for us. Dr. Fairweather is currently working on it with his sister as we speak."

"Fantastic!" Harlan proclaimed. "Do we know what it is yet?"

"An invisibility formula. But Clark thinks we can weaponize it to make our enemies disappear... _permanently,_ " McKnight said with a smile.

In the back of the room, Dr. Sam Beckett frowned. "Uh... what? Huh? I mean... yeah I know we're government, but... can't we kinda... I dunno... _not_ make everything a _weapon_?"

McKnight barked out laughter as he heard that. "Seriously!? Oh, you bleeding heart liberals! Why do you think our country is as great as it is!? That we have major money making companies like Carmichael Industries or Bio-Labs? Or the freedoms our country?"

"Freedoms!? Ha! Lex Luthor did away with any freedom our country could have had! He used the Superhero Registration Act to come to power and he's the reason our states live segregated one from another!" Beckett yelled. "I mean, California is being attacked by _space aliens_ and the only people who know about it live in the state of California! That's ridiculous!"

"Ha! I love a good _conspiracy theory_!" Phenomenus shouted while laughing.

McKnight furrowed his brow. "Shouldn't you be working on your project, Dr. Beckett? And remember with whom you are speaking. I am a ranking officer here."

Beckett plastered a smile on his face. "Oh, I'm sorry, _sir_. I can't right now because my computer crashed. Under my computer table is the IT guy right now... _sir_."

Suddenly, a young man popped his head out from under the table. "Um... sorry. Yes, everything is ready."

McKnight frowned, looking for his name badge to see the young man's name. "Okay, um... Mr. Gabriel Gray, is it?"

"Sir, yes sir." He said, jumping up to attention and saluting.

"Get out of here. Before I get you neuralized for overhearing sensitive information."

"But I didn't hear anything! I sw-"

" _Now_!" McKnight barked.

Gabriel quickly rushed out of the room. He could feel himself sweating bullets. He had never been so close to General McKnight, let alone be _yelled at_ by him. And the things he had heard in there left him feeling _invigorated_.

 _Invisibility formulas? Weaponizing things? That's_ _incredible_ _. I must learn more about it!_ He thought. _And how could Dr. Beckett not be ecstatic about it!? He's right in the middle of everything, yet he doesn't want anything to do with it... He's just like the computers I need to fix. He's_ _broken_ _. But me? No, I'm not. I can appreciate the power Alphabet Soup has. Of course I'm just an IT guy, but... I know I'm_ _special_ _. I'm destined for greatness, and I know that if I keep myself in the right place at the right time, they'll see how special I really am. They'll_ _have_ _to..._

Meanwhile, back in the office, Dr. Beckett was having a very _different_ train of thought. _I can't let this happen. And soon, the plan Al and I have is going to come into place. I will_ _not_ _let my life's work be used for General of the Army Rex's insane plans!_

. . .

Dr. Kaplan watched as Billy did a demonstration in front of the karate class. It had been a crazy day for the Power Rangers. Rita had sent a Monster known as the Dark Warrior, who kidnapped Howard Kwan. One thing led to another and the rangers retrieved Dr. Kwan while destroying the Monster. And all the while, Dr. Kwan was none the wiser that Dr. Kaplan had been able to take a sample of his invisibility formula. He had made certain of that when he told Ernie to slyly slip it back to Dr. Kwan when he wasn't looking.

But that wasn't the main thing on Kaplan's mind. He was watching Billy perform with Jason. He found himself smirking as Billy performed a move, intuitively, on Jason which caught him offguard for a moment. Jason readily reversed the move, but it was still something that stayed in Jason's mind. Billy was a fast learner and he was showing it.

After the presentation, due to the time Billy had been training with the class before and his obvious improvement shown that day, Jason presented to him the next level in the course: he became a yellow belt. Beaming and caught as offguard as Jason had been, Billy was beaming. Before Billy knew it, though, he found himself being picked on once again by Bulk and Skull. But, it had appeared Dr. Kwan had used the invisibility formula and had been able to go in and begin beating the two bullies up, invisibly.

As that happened, Dr. Kaplan smiled. _Oh, yes. We will be able to learn_ _much_ _from Kwan's formula..._

As Billy made his way out of the Youth Center, clutching his yellow belt with newfound courage, he smiled. _Jack will be happy to hear... Howard sure has brought back my confidence! And with this new confidence I am going to finish a project I had abandoned a long time ago. I'm going to finish my thought transfer machine!_

. . .

In San Angeles, Tommy Oliver walked up to his house after getting off the city bus. Sweat dripped down his brow, as he had just finished yet another grueling practice. Before walking in the front door, he checked his mailbox. In it was a letter addressed to him.

Reading it outloud, Tommy said: "Dear San Angeles City Champion, In two weeks' time will be your opportunity to become the champion of the state of California. Enclosed is a paper with the information to where the tournament will be in the city of Angel Grove. We are very excited to see you there, and good luck!

"Huh... well, it looks like Tommy is coming to Angel Grove!"

. . .

 _ **Dark Dimension of Universe M54331Z-B**_

Goldar began laughing as he saw it happen. Slowly but surely, the Time Device turned on... and _stayed_ on.

"Now for me to become king of the universe!" Goldar cried out as he stood in the Dark Dimension.

Grabbing a knob to the side of his contraption, he activated it. A blast of Time Energy and Time Magic blasted out from it. Falling onto his back Goldar dropped the machine, losing it in the fog. He could feel pulse after pulse erupt from the Time Device, hitting him and making him nauseous.

"Oh, no! I've... gotta turn it off!" Goldar declared.

On all fours, Goldar began searching through the tremors to find the contraption. The more he looked, the more he felt as if he couldn't find it. Then, suddenly, he felt a large blast hit him which shook him to his core. Pulling himself up he grabbed at his ribs, feeling as if he was about to throw up.

"What have you done, mortal?" A calm voice said from behind Goldar. It did not sound angry or frustrated, but sincerely curious. As if the questioner was accusing Goldar of wrongdoing without any of the malice usually associated with one of Rita's usual torrents of Rage. That alone gave Goldar pause before realizing the oddity of having another person in his private dimension.

"What!?" Goldar gasped, spinning around.

Standing before him was the Watcher from The Supreme known as August. He stood calmly, analyzing the situation. He looked from Goldar to the source of the Time Magic and back to him.

"Who do you think you are, to meddle with Time Magic?" He asked sincerely, not laced with the usual sarcasm a question such as that would normally carry. "You do not know how these things work, mortal. You triggered this in a Space outside of _your_ Space and Time. This dimension you call the Dark Dimension is only _loosely_ connected to your Timeline. Due to the nature of this dimension, it is causing irregularities that I- agh!"

Before August could finish speaking, a blast from the Time Device hit him. It caused his pocket device to malfunction, sparking and erupting with the culmination of August vanishing entirely from the Dark Dimension. Confused, Goldar began looking around. And that's when he saw it. A thing which had no explanation and left the gold clad warrior utterly confused... _Another Goldar_.

"Er... who are you!?" Goldar demanded.

The other Goldar growled. "Er... I could ask you the same thing!"

. . .

 _ **2050 AD - The Hall of Legends**_

Suddenly, the Future: Omega Ranger saw his Chrono Workstation begin to redefine the name of Goldar's location. The Time Force Cameras were reporting that the location was continually changing from one spot of the multiverse to another, if one could truly define "location" in a place as mortally abstract as the multiverse or the various universes and dimensions therein.

The Time Force Cameras were processing more information in a short time frame (once again, if one could quantify Time in a place without it, such as The Hall of Legends) than Sam had ever seen them do. They were extracting and uploading files Rip Hunter had left behind from what Sam could only deduce were from Rip's personal database back in his Timeline directly to the Archives of The Hall of Legends. Those new files then began to interact with the files in The Archives Sam had yet to Archive, updating them with the information the Time Force Cameras were pulling from Rip's database. It was as if Goldar's actions in his Dark Dimension had caused enough of an anomaly that the Time Force database ran a massive search into every file it had access to so it could find the answers for the quandry Goldar's Time Device had apparently created. Apparently Rip Hunter's research held the answer the Time Force Cameras and the Chrono Workstation had been needing to rectify the old information with the new one.

Apparently the Time Force Cameras had found a file associated with said information. That file was able to give Sam a summary of the information personified as Rip Hunter himself. It was a motion capture of Rip, from the time he was yet investigating the relationship between Time Force and The Hall of Legends.

"This is Rip Hunter of the Linear Men, a sub sect of Time Force. My research has helped me find out about yet another thing my superiors seem to be keeping from us Linear Men. Before the incident with the Mut-Orgs which caused Time Force to separate itself from its past, the Timeline from whence we originated had apparently been split before by means I have not yet discovered. Apparently, in the year 1993, a second identical universe was created which now runs side by side with our parent universe. It seemed to have a history all its own, completely identical up to the point of its creation, which confounded me because it seemed to _adopt_ a history it could have never had. The universe and its inhabitants believed they had been around since the dawn of Time for them, which wasn't true. They had memories which were not their own... I'd remembered _something_ about such a theory of Time but it was from my days back in the Academy...

"Regardless of the quantum mechanics of this bizarre Time Anomaly, that new universe had indeed become its own being and began making a new, convoluted, and actually rather quite tragic history. I have named it simply Timeline 2. I haven't done any write ups on this universe because I'm so swamped with trying to find out _why_ Commander Cruger locked the Future: Omega Ranger in the Hall of Legends, but suffice it to say it deserves a file all its own. There were many heroes who emerged in that universe's history, but... it's history of villains seems even greater. If our universe had to face the things I have found out about that one, this 'Timeline 2', I don't think we would have survived. Rip Hunter, over and out."

Sam sat at the Chrono Workstation, frowning. Yet another Timeline, and apparently one created by Goldar. It seemed to him that because Goldar activated his Time Device in the Dark Dimension, instead of altering Time he just made a carbon copy of his universe. In essence, he created Life instead of his goal to destroy it. And as he learned from the Guardian, September, and those with them to call the universe he had been archiving Timeline B, Future: Omega Ranger gave the new Timeline a name based off of both the Guardian and Rip Hunter's naming system. The new Timeline would be known as Timeline B-2.

. . .

 _ **Dark Dimension of Universe M54331Z-B**_

Goldar growled as he looked at the Temporal Twin he had created. "Leave this place! Now!"

Goldar B-2 caused his sword to appear. "Make me, you pretender! Er... I am the _real_ Goldar!"

Rushing at each other, the two Goldars went to battle. The moment they touched, however, Time Magic rippled through them and hit the Time Device. Before either could react, the Time Device activated and caused one of the Goldars to disappear. Thinking quickly, Future: Omega Ranger sent a Time Force Camera into a sort of Temporal Scar which had been left behind in the Space fabric of the Dark Dimension momentarily, to chase after the Goldar who had disappeared. He had reacted quickly enough, for the Time Force Camera had managed to slip into the Temporal Scar before it had vanished. This gave Sam the opportunity to begin to watch the events going on in the new Timeline B-2.

While the Chrono Workstation processed the new location from the multiverse, re-establishing a connection with the Time Force Camera he had sent after the vanished Goldar, Omega Ranger staring at the Goldar who was left. Using his Third Eye, he looked over the golden Monster standing menacingly in the Dark Dimension. As Omega had thought, the Time Frequency coming off of him was _different_ than the frequency given off by the rest of the inhabitants of Timeline B. The Goldar who had stayed behind was none other than the "newly born" Goldar B-2.

Breathing in deeply, Goldar B-2 laughed as he picked up the Time Device, not knowing he was not in his rightful universe. He looked it over and then set it back down.

"All it did was create a temporary clone of me!? Er... I failed you my brother... I'm sorry. But all is not lost! I _will_ defeat the Power Rangers and _nothing_ will stop me!"

. . .

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Goldar limped out of the Dark Dimension. He had looked and looked, but could not find the Time Device. He figured that it along with Goldar B-2 had been obliterated like August appeared to have been, who he thought of as the weird bald man who had shown up in the Dark Dimension.

 _I'm a failure..._ Goldar thought as he limped toward the balcony. He was filled with deep regret. He had truly wanted to go back and save his brother. He also _truly_ wanted to go back in Time and establish himself as ruler of the universe. He didn't know which one he was more disappointed at losing, but suffice it to say his spirits were low.

"Goldar!"

"Er... Yes, my empress?" Goldar asked.

"It's time for us to up our game!" Rita B-2 declared.

 _By what? Sending down more Putty Patrollers to ruin another party?_ Goldar thought sarcastically.

Rita B-2 laughed. "Prepare yourself, Goldar! I'm going to send a nuclear strike against Earth. If I can't have Zordon's artifacts, then no one can! By this time tomorrow Earth will be nothing more than a memory!"


	11. Chp 11: Switching PlacesGreen with Evil

**Chapter Eleven: Switching Places; Green with Evil**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Goldar was shocked at the sudden deviation from her normal behavior. He knew not that the woman before him was a Rita from a different Timeline, with a different soul. He didn't know this because he as of yet knew not that he was in a different Timeline, inadvertently created by him.

"Er... Rita?" Goldar asked, slinking forward. "Do you think that perhaps that is not the _wisest_ thing to do?"

"What!?" Rita-2 demanded, turning around and hitting Goldar over the head. "What do you mean!?"

"Er... if you do that, then Dark Specter will surely be angry. Surely you know more than I how much Dark Specter wants the artifacts in the Zordon's warehouses." Goldar said, falling to his knees and putting his hands over his head to protect himself from further attacks.

Rita-2 nodded slowly. There wasn't much that penetrated the veil of Red Rage Energy permeating from her staff, but the fear of Dark Specter was definitely one of those things. Sneering, she began to march out of the room.

"Fine! I'll get Finster to make me a Monster!" Rita-2 declared.

Still feeling as if something was a amiss, Goldar slowly followed the woman who he thought was his empress. As he walked on, he bumped into Squatt-2.

"Hey! Watch it!" Squatt-2 demanded.

"Watch how you speak to a high commanding officer of the United Alliance of Evil!" Goldar ordered, growling.

Baboo-2 then stepped forward. "You need to learn your place, _Goldar_. You may be a high officer, but I'm _Prince of the Vampires_. My sister is the _Queen_!"

"Ha! She's trapped in the Underworld with Morticon, _fool_!" Goldar retorted, yet still shocked at the lip he was getting from the two bumbling followers.

Stepping forward and pushing Goldar, Squatt-2 growled. "At least that was because she tried and didn't _run away each time things got tough_!"

"Yeah! Necrolai is a true fighter... unlike _you_." Baboo-2 declared, pushing Goldar himself before turning around and walking away.

"Watch where you step next time, Goldilocks." Squatt-2 warned as he turned to follow his best friend.

 _What is going on here!?_ Goldar thought as he made his way to Finster's lab.

"What do you mean!?" Rita-2 demanded.

"I... I just can't think of a Monster to use!" Finster-2 declared, staring at his dolls in confusion. "I... I remember making these, but now I just don't feel like it's _my_ work. This is all so... weird and _different_."

Not understanding that Finster-2 was feeling how he had not really done any of that work but really had inherited his life from his Temporal Twin in Timeline B1, Rita-2 just stared at him in anger. Curling her free hand, she turned it into a fist and punching Finster-2 as hard as she could in the face before turning around and marching off.

Goldar slowly made his way to Finster-2 in confusion. As he did, he could see and hear Finster-2 sobbing deep, painful sobs.

"What is going on here...?" Goldar wondered aloud.

"I... I hate this!" Finster-2 declared. "I... I don't even know why I stay here, Goldar. I... I don't even know if I want to be evil anymore. I was once a glorious scientist, working alongside the greats of the United Alliance. I did _good things_ before I let my _hubris_ lead me down the path to betraying Sentinel Knight's explicit instructions. I... I don't want to be a villain anymore!"

Goldar's head was swimming. Literally dizzy, he stumbled out of the lab before making his way to Rita-2's balcony. As he did, he overheard Squatt-2 state how he had tampered somehow with a device Billy-2 had created.

"Will they _die_ if they use it?" Rita-2 asked, using the harsh word associated with death which was uncommon in Goldar's true dimension.

"If we're lucky!" Squatt-2 answered, hopping up and down and crossing his fingers.

"Okay then. I will continue with my plan that I had set out before... though now that I think about it, it seems a little bit of an odd and not very threatening attack plan..." Rita-2 stated, unconsciously displeased with the plan she inherited from her Temporal Twin's mind. "Anyway, we will send down the Genie!"

"Excellent choice, my empress," Goldar said, trying to fit in.

"Of course it is! Now everyone get ready! We are about to destroy the Power Rangers!" Rita-2 declared with a truly terrifying cackle.

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Walking around, Goldar-2 noticed nothing different than what his memories told him to expect. Squatt and Baboo were two bumbling fools, Rita let her Rage make her ingenious plans become incompetant ones, and Finster did what he was told, constantly adding more power to Rita's arsenal. The only real thing which was different was Goldar-2's attitude about the entire thing.

 _I'm tired of losing! Constantly!_ Goldar-2, a rougher and tougher version of his Temporal Twin, roared in his own mind. _Rita is still more powerful than I, and I mustn't fight against her lest Dark Specter lose confidence in me not being a loyal servant to him, but... I need to make sure we conquer Earth so Rita's failures don't reflect upon_ _me_ _. I've already failed my brother in my attempts to travel in Time... but I can still avenge his death by becoming the warrior he wanted himself to become!_

Goldar-2 marched up toward Rita's balcony to see what she, Squatt, and Baboo were raving about (not knowing it was Baboo's success in tampering with Billy's mind swapping machine, just as had occurred in Timeline B2).

"An excellent choice, your majesty, as usual!" Goldar-2 heard Baboo declare.

"Goldar!?" Rita barked as he appeared on the balcony. "Take a look! This is the chance we've been waiting for!"

Goldar-2's interest was piqued at Rita's statement. "You mean we can finally get rid of the Power Rangers!?"

Impressed with how serious and determined his voice sounded (more so than usual), Rita smiled. "Yes... _attack_!"

"Shouldn't we, my mistress, have a plan before we just attack?" Goldar-2 asked, biting his tongue so to not call her names.

"Yes... Squatt? Baboo? Go with Goldar to get the Genie!" Rita ordered.

Goldar nodded. "Come with me! I know _exactly_ where to get the Genie..."

. . .

Billy sat in his garage, explaining to Kimberly how he made a machine for those who were not as intellectually gifted as he was to be able to, through a mind transfer, have their memory traces be formed similar to his own. The transference of mental data would be something he imagined would change the world. Kim was impressed and agreed, and so did one other man in particular. That was Dr. Kaplan, who was watching the events unfold via his surveillance from an unmarked van down the street.

Also in the neighborhood, spying on Billy just because they had felt like it were Bulk and Skull. They watched from their hiding place behind the RADBUG as Billy explained the whole thing to Kimberly. They were shocked, stunned... and greedy enough to want to learn how to use the machine for their own selfish ends. Bulk watched in fascination as Billy and Kimberly began the process (while Skull tried to warn him of the neighbor's dog who had wandered onto the scene before chasing the two away).

That caused the two bullies to miss an important event: Billy and Kimberly's brain patterns completely switched places. The remolding of their brains (and the subsequent transference of their Spirits) caused the two to switch bodies. The horror the two felt over their predicament was embodied by their bloodcurdling screams as they realized what had happened.

After finally dodging the dog, Bulk and Skull made their way into the garage themselves. As they did, not knowing of the tampering Squatt had done to the machine, they decided to use the machine on themselves so as to share each other's thoughts. Bulk figured if he could get the machine's inner workings down pat, he could open up some sort of detective agency in downtown Angel Grove and be a private investigator. Due to the dimwitted nature of his mind, he didn't think through the dynamic of needing to steal Billy's machine, or how he would need to take it everywhere or even connect it to those who he was investigating. All he cared about, due to his nature, was what was going on in the here and now. Unfortunately for him, that led to he and Skull suffering the same fate as Kimberly and Billy: they switched brains/Spirits.

Watching in disbelief, Dr. Kaplan smiled as he sat in his van. "Oh, now _this_ will be a field study for my research like none other!"

. . .

Goldar-2 took a step back as he handed the lamp to Squatt and Baboo. If for whatever reason something backfired, he wanted it to happen to those who he thought of as buffoons rather than it happening to him. He then explained to Squatt and Baboo what was happening, in case they weren't aware.

"Now that we have the magic lamp from Canine 4 of the Wolfhead's Galaxy, those Power Rangers will be taken care of _once and for all_!" Goldar-2 declared, suddenly filled with much passion for the destruction of the Power Rangers.

He then watched as the two rubbed the lamp, releasing the Genie from his imprisonment. The Genie proclaimed what was genetically a program, an instinct, in him to say about how he would grant those who rubbed his lamp wishes.

"Genie! You are going to be sent down to Earth and there you will attack the Power Rangers and destroy them _is that_ _understood_?" Goldar-2 said in one breath, his desire to see the Power Rangers crushed overtaking him.

The Genie, realizing and feeling that Baboo and Squatt were underlings to Goldar-2, nodded slowly. He accepted the wish and was ready to receive any other instructions.

Goldar-2 then growled in anger as he heard Squatt and Baboo question whether or not the Genie could actually do the task. As they did, the Genie answered and informed them that he would indeed be able to defeat the Power Rangers.

Goldar-2 then began to think quickly. He knew Rita's plan revolved around getting the Genie to downtown Angel Grove, yet he recalled that the only reason Pine-Ocotpus had been able to get downtown was the fact that Rita had found a small bubble that was a weak spot in the power barrier SHIELD and Zordon had put up around Angel Grove to weaken any Monsters she would send down. Squatt had only been able to get down because his task did not necessitate him using any powers to tamper with Billy's machine. The Genie, however, definitely needed to be at full power and the weak spot in the barrier around Angel Grove had been fixed after SHIELD had found the breach following the destruction of Pine-Octopus. Looking around, trying to figure out a way to sneak past Zordon's detection, Goldar-2's eyes landed on the lamp from which the Genie came.

"We'll send you down to Earth inside the lamp so Zordon can't detect your arrival!" Goldar-2 suddenly delcared.

Extremely impressed with Goldar-2's thinking, Baboo and Squatt danced merrily. The Genie, happy to be doing bidding for a fellow evil doer and not a hero, gladly accepted the plan. Returning to the lamp, the Genie awaited his launch to Earth. And his timing would be perfect, for the problems between Kim and Billy and dealing with switching places were beginning to put a strain on the whole team...

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Bulk-2 and Skull-2 watched as Billy-2 explained the whole situation of the mind swapping machine to Kimberly-2. As that occurred, just as it had in Timeline B1, Dr. Kaplan-2 watched from down the street. However, he had someone with him with Temporal Twin had not thought to bring: Ms. Applebee.

Applebee-2 looked to Kaplan-2. "This is very impressive, but... why did you need me here? Shouldn't I be off doing something where I can actually be productive?"

"That's just it, dear," Kaplan-2 said with a smile on his face. "You see, there's a guard dog at the house next door. That dog may be my way to get a closer look at Billy's machine."

Understanding Kaplan-2's gist, Applebee-2 smiled. "I understand! I'll be on my way..."

Kaplan-2 watched as Applebee-2 slowly changed her appearance. Originally a Shapeshifter who had been kidnapped by the US government, she had been put into the same special ops team as Ernie Finestein, Dr. Kaplan, the agent known as Spencer, and Special Agent Myers. She had a great career as an agent for the government, until General of the Army Rex had inducted her into Alphabet Soup with the rest of that special team that Alfred Pennyworth had formed. She had hardly gotten the opportunity to transform since becoming a full time agent in Angel Grove. Getting the opportunity at that point was a fantastic opportunity in her mind to finally do what felt natural to her: shapeshift.

"And while you're at it, get Bulk and Skull out of there," Kaplan-2 stated. "I don't want them interferring with what Billy is doing."

Smiling as he opened the door to his truck, Kaplan-2 sat back down and used his various surveillance cameras to watch Applebee-2. She ran to the yard and, she thought rather oddly, ran into the very dog she was impersonating in the Cranston yard. She looked around and noticed a hole in the fence where she deduced the dog had crawled from. Growling, she barked at the dog to return to its home. Confused, the dog sniffed at his twin. Smelling her _odd_ alien DNA, he grew fearful and rushed back to his home as Applebee-2 had wanted.

She then did as the dog had down in Timeline B1 and rushed up to Bulk-2 and Skull-2. Following the orders Kaplan-2 had given her, Applebee-2 began growling and barking at the two bullies.

A look of absolute fear washed over Skull-2. "Bulkie...? Wha... what do we do!?"

Bulk-2 felt the utter irritation and lack of focus his Temporal Twin had passed down to him. Although his counterpart in the other Timeline had learned how to control those passions, the "newly born" Bulk-2 had only his memories to teach him how to deal with the feelings rushing into his mind. Sneering, he completely gave into the Rage surging through him. Before Applebee-2 could react, the incredibly strong Bulk-2 lunged forward and grabbed her by her furry neck. She tried to yelp for help, but it was too late: Bulk-2 squeezed as hard as he could and snapped her neck.

"What!?" Skull-2 screamed. "Bulk!? You... you _killed_ it!"

Bulk-2 leapt up, staring down at his hands. "What have I _done_...?"

Billy-2, spinning around, stared at Bulk-2 and Skull-2 in confusion. "Huh? What are you two doing in my driveway!?"

Kim-2 rolled her eyes in irritation. "Ugh... don't you two have _lives_ or something?"

"Wait... did you two just murder that dog!?" Billy-2 asked in shock.

"Ahhh!" The two screamed, turning around and sprinting out of the yard.

As they did, Billy-2 ran to the dog. "This is awful. This dog belongs to my neighbor and-"

Right then, the dog next door began to bark. Billy-2 furrowed his brow and walked to the fence. Looking through the slits in the fence, he noticed the dog walking around.

"Hunh. I guess it was just a look-alike," Billy-2 guessed outloud.

"Well, whatever." Kim-2 said, standing up and walking to leave the garage.

"Hey... where are you going?" Billy-2 asked, confused.

"I'm outta here. I'm really not into this _geek_ stuff, ya' know?" Kim-2 stated, grabbing her backpack.

"But... but I thought you were going to help me?" Billy-2 questioned, not sure what changed Kim-2's mind.

"Whatever, nerd." Kim-2 replied, sneering. "And by the way, you testing your machine on me? Is it because you think I'm so much dumber than you that you think I would be happy to have your brain 'bless' mine? Ha! I'd rather be not a genius than be some sort of total social reject like _you_."

Tears started forming in Billy-2's eyes. "But... but..."

"But _nothing_. I'll see you if Zordon calls or something." Kim-2 stated as she stormed off.

Wiping the tears off his face, Billy-2 slowly made his way to his machine. Clenching his fists in anger, he began punching the machine. He then grabbed his morpher and morphed, using his Blue Ranger powers and Power Lance to finish demolishing the machine. Heaving and puffing in anger, feeling pained and wronged, her demorphed and plopped himself down on a chair in front of his mouse cage.

"Where did that come from, Jack!?" Billy-2 demanded of his pet. "I didn't do anything wrong! I... I just invited her because she was my friend was all! I mean... I even catered her spot to fit her body perfectly! What did I do wrong, Jack!? I thought things were looking up for me... am I destined to be alone _forever_...? Will I never have any friends outside of _you_?"

As Billy-2 sat and cried his agony away, Kaplan-2 continued to stare at his monitors in disbelief. Never in a million years would he have predicted that Bulk-2 would harm a living thing like that. It wasn't in his personality charts. It was something completely out of character for Bulk-2.

Leaning over and speaking into his microphone, Kaplan-2 began recording a new entry into his research. "I... she... Bulkmeier has expressed a random character trait... the ability to take life. He... he killed a dog... what he thought was only a dog... a beautiful creature she was... Uh... Bulkmeier looked horrified by the fact afterward, though. More tests must proceed to figure out what must have happened..."

Then, pushing a button, Ernie-2's voice was heard from the audio system. "This is Finestein. What's up?"

"I... we have a horrible... It's Applebee..." Kaplan-2 stated.

"What!? What happened!?" Ernie-2 demanded.

"She shifted into a dog and one thing led to another... she's dead, Ernie," Kaplan-2 finally was able to spit out, tears streaming down his face. "Applebee is dead."

. . .

Agent S-2 sat at his desk at the law firm at which he worked. He suddenly felt a signal from his pocket device which he pulled out to look at. It was a transmission from Agent Chen.

"This is Agent S."

Agent Chen furrowed his brow. "No, you are _not_."

"What?" S-2 asked, confused.

"Look at your readings," Chen ordered.

S-2 looked at the top of his bar. It read that the Timeline in which he was at was "unknown". Furrowing his brow, he looked back to Chen on the screen.

"What does that mean!?" S-2 demanded, feeling knots in his stomach.

"It means..." Chen stated as a Time Portal opened up in S-2's office.

"Huh!?" S-2 gasped as he looked up.

From the portal both Agent Chen and Agent Z (the former body of Zen Aku after Lokar caused him to lose his free will, leading to his eventual recruitment into the Traveler's Freelancer group) made their way out of the portal. Agent Chen pursed his lips as he looked at Agent S-2.

"An abomination..." Chen stated coldly.

"What!? How!?" S-2 demanded.

Z looked at him, his ice cold glare as emotionless as ever. "You see... you are in a divergent Timeline."

"Impossible!" S-2 yelled, panicking at what he was thinking the consequences of such a statement would be.

"A being in the old universe has managed to make a mistake and create a Time Device. Due to September's interference the Traveler was unable to foresee this," Chen continued. "And for that reason we were unable to stop this Timeline. Unable to stop it from creating Temporal Twins of our Freelancers posted in this universe."

"But... but I can still be of help!" S-2 insisted.

"That is why Agent Chen contacted you..." Agent Z explained. "To see if you would be of value to the Traveler. Your counterpart, the real Agent S, would've realized right away the Timeline had split."

"You, however? You did not," Agent Chen stated. "Even when I showed to you what happened, you did not see it or understand it. Although you have Agent S' memories, you do not have his _talent_ for seeing Time. You do not have the talent to make you into a Freelancer..."

"No... please do not do this!" Agent S-2 demanded. "I can _learn_!"

"Goodbye." Z stated as he pointed a device at Agent S-2.

The beam from the device hit S-2, killing him instantly. He lay there for a moment before gravity caused him to fall forward from the position in which he had been sitting. Hunched over on his desk is how he would be found later.

"And it will appear as if it were a heart attack, just as it should." Agent D-2 stated, appearing suddenly in the guise of the Ethereal his Temporal Twin had been posing as for eons.

"And as for you..." Agent Z stated. "Does this being's death bring you here, or your ability to process things?"

"I sensed a little while after the Timeline had been spilt that it had happened, I'm ashamed to admit," D-2 stated. "But I continued with my work, awaiting the time for you to contact me."

"Why wait?" Chen asked suspiciously. "Why not alert us immediately?"

"Fear," D-2 stated truthfully. "Although I am confident that I would be allowed to be an agent as is the being whose personality I inherited, I suppose I am not as courageous as he is. I have a... _healthy respect_ for the Traveler's powers and fear what he would do to me. I was afraid he wouldn't accept me, due to my origin. I know deep down that is not how things work, but there is a piece of me that is still, well I guess appropriately due to my being in existence for not even an Earth day, infantile."

"He is truthful." Agent Z stated, turning to his superior Agent Chen and allowing him to make the final decision.

"You will hold no rank as high as your Temporal Twin, since you have much left to learn," Agent Chen reported. "I will send to you Agent Wallace, a new Freelancer, to take Agent S' place here and help supervise and train you to use the information in the memories you inherited."

"And I supposed he will not be involved in the training of this Timeline's Kimberly Ann Hart?" Agent D-2 asked.

"No," Agent Z stated. "The Kimberly Hart of this Timeline is useless to us."

"Are we clear?" Agent Chen asked.

"Yes," D-2 replied.

"Good. And as you are being accepted into the Traveler's fold, you must be given a name. Agent D is his own individual, as are you. As such, you must be given a name that will be yours and yours alone," Chen stated. "The name by which you will be known from here on out will be Agent Ecce."

"You will continue the work assigned to Agent D in this universe until Agent Wallace arrives to help you," Agent Z ordered.

"Will do." Agent Ecce stated as he spread out his Ethereal Wings.

At that, Agent Chen and Agent Z turned and made their way back into the Time Portal. As it closed, suddenly the Spirit of Agent S-2 appeared in the room. As he appeared, Agent Ecce turned to him.

"Why?" Agent S-2 asked. "Why did you hide me from them?"

"I knew they would try and take your Spirit straight to wherever Spirits go the Traveler is collecting... or whatever it is he does with those Spirits," Agent Ecce stated. "I cannot in good consciousness allow the Traveler's plans to continue in this universe as it has in others."

Agent S-2 frowned. "Are you not afraid of him finding out?"

Ecce smiled. "Not particularly. Agent D is very informed of how the Traveler's system functions on the level of the Freelancers, and thus so am I. This Timeline is even harder to predict and read for Traveler than the Time Source Anomaly September created when he introduced Mythical Master into the parent-universe. I should be just fine."

"And Agent Wallace?" S-2 asked.

"Agent D has memories of when Wallace was recruited. He shouldn't be too difficult to manage. As long as I act as if I don't know as much as I do, I should be able to handle him fairly well," Ecce stated.

"Well, I am fortunate that the Spirit who inhabited Agent D's Temporal Twin was you, a good person, rather than someone else I suppose," S-2 stated.

"Yes, I suppose you are." Agent Ecce declared as he allowed the white light leading to the Afterlife to appear in the room. "Now head in and enjoy the paradise which awaits you on the other side."

S-2 looked at Ecce curiously. "You believe in the Afterlife? Not even the Traveler has been able to confirm what exactly it is..."

Smiling once again, Ecce shrugged. "I have my faith. It will drive me to do what I think is right as long as I have need of hope. Now go. Whatever it is that awaits you on the other side is surely better than the chaos that awaits the multiverse if the Traveler or the Supreme have their way."

And like that, S-2 stepped into the portal and was gone. Ecce then looked up and flew up back to Eden. He had much work to do if he was going to be an agent against the Traveler.

. . .

Goldar frowned as he arrived from the Wolfshead Galaxy with the lamp in hand. It hadn't been an easy trek out. He knew from his lessons on Egypticus that at one point eons ago the species of Werewolf had mixed with the Djinn, creating the hybrid Genie/Wolf in that area of the universe. Squatt-2 and Baboo-2 hadn't been much help, being too prideful to help Goldar. All they did was complain the entire time about having to take orders from the "coward Goldar". It took Goldar his entire span of patience to not get into a full on battle with the duo (along with being yet confused about their sudden boost of confidence).

Happy to be finally done, Goldar stood staring at Earth from Rita's balcony. Clutching the lamp, he began to rub it.

"Hey! Who says _you_ get to rub it!?" Baboo-2 demanded.

"Quiet! I'm sick of your complaining!" Goldar yelled as Genie-2 flew out of the lamp.

"I'm at your service," Genie-2 declared.

"I command you to destroy the Power Rangers!" Goldar yelled, though with less passion than his clone had.

"It shall be done..." Genie-2 announced, teleporting to Earth-2.

As he did, landing in Angel Grove, he suddenly felt himself get depowered. He had unknowingly passed through the barrier SHIELD and Zordon had created to protect Angel Grove. Goldar had not had the foresight Goldar-2 had to help Genie-2 bypass the shield and alert Zordon-2.

In the Command Center, Zordon-2 furrowed his brow. "Alpha? The scanners are sensing a Monster of Magical properties in the park downtown. Send the Rangers!"

Alpha 5-2 nodded. "Yes, sir! Rangers!?"

In the cafeteria at Angel Grove High, Jason-2 sneered. He looked to Trini-2 and Zack-2 and motioned for them to follow him to the hallway.

"Can it wait?" Jason-2 asked. "I had a big workout this morning and I _really_ need to up my carbs."

"Uh... no. No, not really..." Alpha 5-2 stated, looking up to Zordon-2 in confusion.

Saba-2 rolled his eyes from the Time Warp of Timeline B-2. "This behavior sounds like a spell. We should scan them."

"Agreed." Zordon-2 stated, beginning a Nathadian Scan.

"Ugh," Jason-2 replied to Alpha 5-2. "Just teleport us there."

"Alright!" Alpha 5-2 declared, teleporting them out.

Morphing as they were being teleported, the three Power Rangers landed, staring at Genie-2. The Black Ranger stepped up, laughing.

"Seriously!? A dog-man? This will be too easy!" Black Ranger declared.

Summoning his Power Sword, the Red Ranger clenched his free fist. "He's gonna wish he never came here and messed with _us_. Hi-yah!"

Rushing forward, Jason-2 tapped deep and caused a great surge of Red Morphing Energy to pour out of him and into his sword. He then dodged a blast of Magic from Genie-2 and stabbed the Monster in the head. Laughing, he kicked the beast away from him. He watched happily as the dying Monster slid off his blade and landed on the ground, exploding.

"Jason!? What are you doing!?" Yellow Ranger asked. "We're not supposed to escalate the battle!"

Red Ranger shrugged. "I'm not wasting my time anymore. We get in and out quickly. We have lives to lead, you know."

"Jase! That was rad!" Black Ranger declared, slapping Red Ranger on the back.

"But-" Yellow Ranger started.

"I'm team leader. Now shut up," Red Ranger ordered. "Let's get on back. I'm hungry."

. . .

 ** _Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B2_**

Zordon-2 watched as Red Ranger stabbed Genie-2 in the head. Right as it happened, Zordon-2 fell to a knee.

"Agh!" Zordon-2 gasped.

"What is it!?" Saba-2 asked, frightened.

"It's Jason..." Zordon-2 answered. "He escalated the battle. Since he is connected to my Order of Meledon, I'm the one who gets the negative consequence for it. I didn't think it'd hurt so much, though..."

"Did Jason do this because he is under the influence of one of Rita's spells?" Saba-2 asked.

"No. I was actually getting some sort of reading about a fluctuation in Time Energy, but I couldn't quite figure it out..." Zordon-2 stated.

"It's not good news..." A voice from behind them stated.

"September?" Zordon-2 asked, surprised to see him there.

"I guess that's my name..." September-2 stated. "Zordon? Saba? I have some very bad news for you two..."

"What is it!?" Saba-2 asked fearfully.

Sighing, September-2 looked down. "We have a lot of planning to do. The entire game has changed. Unfortunately, it seems as if we are the result of a Time Divergence."

"What do you mean?" Zordon-2 asked, stomach suddenly in knots.

"Someone has altered the events of Time in this universe. The universe we are currently in is a parallel universe to the one we have memories of. We are copies of Universe M54331ZB. And everything we think we know about our enemies, even our allies, is wrong. Everything about this new universe is different, Zordon. You are different. I am different. And so are those you fight. From here on out, nothing will ever be the same..."

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Goldar-2 sat in the Dark Dimension, meditating. As he did, he opened his eyes and looked longingly at the Time Device. He felt a bit of anger well up inside of him, but he knew he had to control it to be as effective as possible in his plans. He had failed in his attempt to go back in Time and save King Sphinx, but he wouldn't fail his brother again. He would live the rest of his life in Sphinx's honor, hoping to become the great warrior his brother never had the opportunity to become.

Standing up, Goldar-2 sadly grabbed the Time Device. Sighing, and giving into his Rage a bit, he chucked it at one of the pillars in the small area. As it hit the pillar, it suddenly sparked to life. In an flash, Goldar-2 found himself face to face with the original Goldar.

"You again!?" Goldar-2 yelled, summoning his sword.

Doing likewise, Goldar growled. "I was standing here, minding my own business, and then a copy of me appears _again_!? Who are you!?"

Goldar-2 then looked at the Time Device. "You've been here the whole time?"

"Well, no. I was helping Rita fight the Rangers." Goldar stated, pointing his sword at his Temporal Twin. "So what!? I just got back!"

"Did she use the Genie?" Goldar-2 asked.

"How did you know that!?" Goldar asked, angry.

"Interesting..." Goldar-2 stated. "But I was there, not you... what else happened!?"

Goldar narrowed his eyes, not sure what the being he thought of as an impostor was getting at. "We tried fighting the rangers, but I didn't think of Zordon's barrier and the Genie got depowered. The Monster was taken down easily."

"What of Rita's plot to tamper with Billy's mind machine!?" Goldar-2 demanded.

"It... it didn't pan out..." Goldar answered with confusion.

Goldar-2 laughed. "For me it did..."

"What do you mean!?"

"I think I see what happened. The two of us... we are from different universes... that Time Device must have connected the Dark Dimension of both of our universes to each other!" Goldar-2 declared.

"That explains why Squatt and Baboo are acting differently. Rita, too! You must have gone to my universe and vice-versa!" Goldar rationalized.

"Really?" Goldar-2 asked. "Hmmm... I was more impatient with Rita and her hijinks than I usually am... makes sense... you're probably right."

"Well, what does this mean, _brother_?" Goldar asked, lowering his sword.

Lowering his sword as well, Goldar-2 laughed. "It means we have just doubled our firepower if we want to take over the United Alliance of Evil. Brother, we have some planning to do!"

. . .

Dr. Kaplan sighed as he watched Billy and Kimberly walk into school the next day. They were completely fine, having fixed the problem caused by Rita when she manipulated Billy's machine. They even had Bulk and Skull fixed which thing further troubled Kaplan. He had been having a heyday studying the effects of the four of them, being forced to live in bodies which weren't their own. The first time Billy had attempted to fix the machine earlier had proven fruitless, and that had been due to Kaplan tampering with the machine and causing it to not work. But, unfortunately for him, the effects had been eventually reversed, all while still defeating Rita's recent henchman.

But that was yesterday's missed opportunity. A new day was upon Alphabet Soup. A day which Kaplan was excited to see. The Martial Arts Expo/Grand California Championship was being held, and it was all designed for one thing: to test the supposed Red Ranger for one of GA Rex's personal Power Ranger teams, Tommy Oliver. If he could defeat Jason Lee Scott in battle (of which they were fairly certain he could), they knew they had their candidate.

It had been an intense day of matches, going through the bracket of fighters until the Finals. Kaplan and Ernie had made sure to place Tommy and Jason at opposite sides of the bracket so as to ensure they only met in the Finals. The two had little problem making their way down the opponents, but at the same time it was still tedious to have to fight battle after battle.

While a member of the Expo did a demonstration with battling sticks as a pre-cursor to the big fight, Richie Mendoza stood next to Ernie Finestein and watched as the two candidates warmed up. In one corner stood Jason with his entourage, trying to get mentally in his zone. In the other corner was Tommy, going through his own (intense) routine. Richie smirked as he saw Jason get a bit psyched out at Tommy's apparent skill.

"Heh. I could take both those clowns on no problem," Richie stated casually to Ernie. "Heck, I could even do it at the same time!"

Ernie chuckled. "Think so, kid?"

"I know so," Richie answered confidently.

"Well, I guess we picked the right guy to help Alphabet Soup, huh?" Ernie said, smirking as he spoke condescendingly to the over enthusiastic agent.

"You sure did. I can't wait until Global Strike is up and I can finally morph. I'll wipe the floor with Zordon's Red Ranger," Richie stated, Greed flooding through him.

"Um... if you become a Ranger, why would you waste your time fighting another Ranger? Shouldn't you be busy saving the world or something?" Ernie asked, pointing out how Richie may not get what he was desiring.

Thinking about it for a moment, Richie smiled as he answered. "They don't work for Rex or the government. They're vigilantes. Therefore they fall under the Superhero Registration Act and I am in the right to hunt them down."

Ernie sighed. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, kid."

"Yeah, it's a shame we'll never see that Tommy kid again after this, though," Richie stated arrogantly. "After Jason wipes the floor with him, he'll go crying back to his parents in San Angeles."

"Actually..." Ernie said, smiling from ear to ear. "Tommy is sticking around."

"Huh?"

"Yeah. McKnight offered his family a huge scholarship to Angel Grove University as long as Tommy goes to Angel Grove High." Ernie declared, laughing at how Richie wasn't going to be able to tell tall tales about being able to beat Tommy and not have to back them up.

"Since when does AGU give out full ride scholarships for _karate_?" Richie asked, not believing Ernie.

"It's not for sports. It's for academics. He is actually a bit of a brain. Smart kid with a lot of potential. Kaplan thinks with the right prodding he could be the next brightest kid in Alphabet Soup, shadowed only by Billy." Ernie stated to Richie as he finished cleaning off a table near them.

"Serioulsy? He doesn't seem like it..." Richie answered, cocking up an eyebrow.

Ernie smiled again. "I said _potential_. He just hasn't had anyone to help him get to what he could be. That's where Alphabet Soup comes in."

"Oh, yeah. That's what we're all about. Selflessly helping kids around the world reach their potential. We're just a bunch of good Samaritans, aren't we?" Richie stated sarcastically.

Ernie frowned at that. He hated having to be reminded of the horrible things he did in secret to those unfortunate enough to be trapped in the hidden experiments of Alphabet Soup. No matter how much he told himself that he was just being a good soldier, he knew deep down he was being a villain. And that was something he did _not_ want to be.

"Ernie? Kaplan wants you to be up front and watch closely as the Finals begin." An agent told Ernie as he walked up to him.

Shrugging off his ill feeling, Ernie turned to Richie. "Okay kid. Gotta go. Keep your nose clean, will ya'?"

Richie winked and turned to watch Jason again. His jealousy toward Zordon's chosen team leader grew in him daily, like a malignant cancer. He wanted with all his being to be able to march out onto the mat and beat Jason himself. He didn't know that Rex and McKnight had no real intentions of making him into a Power Ranger. All he knew was that someday he'd have a morpher, and that with that morpher he'd finally have the power to prove that he was the best there ever was.

"Fighters! Meet on the mat!" The announcer said said over the audio system.

Jason shook his head before smiling to his friends. Sighing heavily, he walked out slowly onto the mat. He didn't know why, but he was more nervous for the upcoming fight than for any other fight he had ever fought before, even as a Power Ranger. He knew not that it was the Order of Meledon flowing through him, prompting him to know how important the match before him was to be.

"You got this, Jase!" Zack yelled.

"Indubitably!" Billy agreed.

"Just stay focused and you'll be fine!" Trini shouted.

"We believe in you!" Kimberly yelled.

 _Man, that guy is big!_ Tommy thought as he walked onto the mat, looking Jason up and down. _I hope the saying that "the bigger they are, the harder the fall" is true..._

"Gentlmen! No hits below the waist! Follow standard tournament rules!" The referee announced as the two fighters met in the middle of the mat. "Now meet!"

"Good luck, man." Jason said as he bowed.

"Same to you." Tommy replied, bowing as well.

"And... fight!"

. . .

 ** _Universe M54331Z-B2_**

"He's out of control!" Billy-2 cried out as he watched Jason-2 fight Tommy-2 unrelentlessly.

"Oof!" Tommy-2 cried out as he was kicked in the chest.

"Return to center. Judge's call, one point!" The ref stated, pointing to Jason-2.

"Yeah! That'll show 'em!" Zack-2 cried out.

"You're going down, punk." Jason-2 stated, sneering at Tommy-2. "This is _my_ turf!"

Tommy-2 stared at him in shock. He had no idea why Jason-2 was being so hostile toward him. His behavior was very much against the code of being a martial artist, which thing Tommy-2 held very close to heart, just as his Temporal Twin in Timeline B1 also did.

"Wow... How come I never noticed how cute Jason was?" Kim-2 asked Trini-2.

Furrowing her brow, Trini-2 took a step back. "Have you noticed how... weird Zack, Kim, and Jason are acting?"

Billy-2 let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, I'm so glad I'm not the only one!"

Meanwhile, Tommy-2 unleased a phenomenal jump kick at Jason-2, redirecting mid-air to land the hit with the opposite leg. Jason-2 sneered and, thinking of only one thing to prevent him from being scored on, channeled Red Morphing Energy into his arm and blocked the kick. Adding onto his already abnormal strength levels, he was able to easily grab Tommy-2 by the ankle and slam him to the ground. As he hit the ground, Tommy-2 heard the timer go off stating that the round was over.

And that was that. Tommy-2 had no chance against Jason-2. He was defeated and Jason-2 was the undisputed champion of California.

"Good match, man." Tommy-2 stated, smiling as the match was called.

"For you, maybe. Waste of time for me." Jason-2 stated, turning his back on Tommy-2 and walking away.

Sighing heavily, Tommy-2 turned and sadly began to put his things back in his bag. As he did that, he fought back tears. He began to think that moving to Angel Grove had been a big mistake. While he did that, Richie-2 smiled.

Seeing the smile on Richie-2's face, Ernie-2 approached him. "What's your deal?"

"Just seeing how the almight Tommy Oliver was really nothing. I can't wait to show you all how embarrassed Jason will be after I get to fight him," Richie-2 stated.

That made Ernie-2 angry. "Stop being so cocky! You're not McKnight's Red Ranger!"

"Huh?" Richie-2 gasped in shock.

"They're just telling you that to keep you in line! You're low on the list of becoming a ranger on any of Rex's teams! Just... stop talking smack and do your job, got it!?" Ernie-2 said, getting in Richie-2's face.

Sneering the ugliest sneer he could, Richie-2 turned around and stomped out of the Juice Bar in a Rage. His fists were clenched on either side, shaking. He couldn't believe he had let Alphabet Soup string him along and make a fool of him. He was furious, and he wanted his revenge. All while that happened, Trini-2 and Billy-2 confronted their teammates.

"Jason!? Did you just use your power for personal gain!? To win this match!?" Trini-2 accused.

"How many times does he have to tell you that he is the team leader, Trini!?" Zack-2 yelled, getting in Trini's face.

"Let's just go..." Billy-2 told Trini-2, pulling her away.

"Really, Trini? You're gonna let nerd-boy tell you what to do? Whatever." Kim-2 said, rolling her eyes before walking over to Jason-2. "So, hot stuff... wanna go out on a date tonight?"

Biting his lip and chuckling, Jason-2 bent down and gave Kim-2 a kiss on the lips. "Now you're talkin' my language. Let's go celebrate my victory! Woo!"

As the trio marched off, whooping and hollering their way out of the Youth Center, Billy-2 looked to Trini-2. "This must be that same chemical concoction that turned me and Kim into rambunctious juvenile delinquents!"

"Agreed! We gotta tell Zordon!" Trini-2 stated.

"Zordon? Is that the high school prinicpal here?" Tommy-2 asked, approaching the two teens and overhearing the last sentence. "Sorry, I'm new in town and trying to find my way around. I'm Tommy."

Billy-2 decided that he needed to act quickly to keep their cover. "No, Zordon is my... computer program. I'm a programer. Sorry, I tend to personify my creations."

"We all have our quirks, I guess." Tommy-2 said with a smile. "I actually wear my karate shoes everywhere I go. I know it's a weird habit, but... yeah. So I guess now we're even! Could you guys maybe show me around?"

Trini-2 smiled, stepping forward to help not solely for selfish reasons as she found herself not able to keep her eyes off of Tommy-2. "I'll help! You go tend to Zordon, okay Billy? We'll meet up later and see what the... uh... _problem_ is, okay?"

Billy-2 nodded as he turned and ran toward the locker room. Once he was sure he was out of sight, he teleported to the Command Center. Upon arriving, Billy-2 looked up to the tube and called out to Zordon-2. In an instant, Zordon-2's blurry image appeared before him.

"Zordon! I think something terrible has fallen upon my teammates! I think they were given the same noxious concoction I was given from when I was a Power Punk!" Billy-2 blurted out.

Zordon-2 sighed. "No, Billy... that is not it..."

"Well, what is it, then!? Things are horrible and I don't know how our team can stay afloat with such a dynamic!" Billy-2 stated, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Billy... how familiar are you with what your people call string theory?" Zordon-2 asked.

"Decently familiar... why?"

Pursing his lips, Zordon-2 looked down at his stalwart ranger. "Billy, I have something to tell you about. Something I just learned myself in the last few hours. Billy? We are in the midst of a massive ordeal in Time. And it all started yesterday..."

. . .

Goldar watched as Rita-2 pounded her fist on the ledge of her balcony. "That Tommy was a wimp compared to Jason! Now who will I choose!?"

"Choose? Choose for what?" Goldar asked, confused.

"I suddenly had a thought... As I saw him, dressed up all in green... I saw that Tommy boy as my new Green Ranger!" Rita-2 declared.

"Yes... the Green Ranger! I had forgotten you still had the Power Coin!" Goldar cried out.

"Yes, but what use will it be!? I have no one to who to bestow it!" Rita-2 complained.

Thinking for a moment, Goldar suddenly had a very devious thought. "Rita...? There actually may be someone you could use... Someone who I noticed during my surveillance of the Humans. He is quite deviuos and I think would be of great use to you!"

"Really!? Show me!" Rita-2 demanded.

Goldar walked over to the telescope. "Look through here, Rita. I have pointed it in his direction."

Looking into the telescope, she saw the new candidate. Laughing as she pulled her out away from the lens, she nodded.

"Yes, I've seen him before! He is quite devious! He'll be the perfect Green Ranger! Fetch him for me right away! Goldar!? We have our replacement for Tommy! Our new Green Ranger is born!"

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Tommy was walking home from his first day at school. As he did, two guys from Angel Grove High met up with him and greeted him.

"Hey! You're that guy that nearly beat Jason at the championships yesterday!" The first kid said.

"Eh, it was a tie. He's a great fighter," Tommy stated humbly.

"I don't know," Stated the second kid. "I personally think you eased up at the end because you were up two points. If you hadn't lowered your guard, he wouldn't have caught up and tied you in the last ten seconds. I think you're the better fighter."

"Wow, thanks for the compliments guys!" Tommy stated, smiling. "But the final score was a tie, so I guess we'll never know now, huh?"

"And how you embarrassed Skull and Bulk today in the hall when they were messing with the Cheerleading captain!? That was so radical!"

Tommy felt himself turn red. "She is the captain of the cheerleading squad?"

The other kid shook his head. "Nah, she was captain of the JV team last year as a Freshman, and she was voted to be the Varsity captain this year but for some reason she quit at the beginning of the year."

"Eh, whatever," The first kid stated.

"Well, thanks for stopping by and walking with, but I gotta get to my house and it's throught this alley up here... I think... yeah, this is the right one..." Tommy said, looking at it as if he wasn't yet positive about the directions he had attempted to memorize that morning.

"Ah, okay. Well, see ya at school!"

Tommy bid them farewell as he turned to the alley. Looking around as he walked, he began to realize that perhaps he had gone the wrong way. Before he could give it any further thought, though, four Putty Patrollers attacked him in the alley. He tried as hard as he could to not have to hit them at first, to honor the code of being a martial artist, but when push came to literal shove he had to defend himself. After a quick battle, Tommy was able to come out the victor. As he did so, Rita Repulsa herself braved Zordon's barrier and landed on the top of a building overlooking the alley. Then, before he could defend himself, Rita zapped him and teleported him off Earth.

As she landed back on the Moon, Goldar-2 confronted her. "Rita, is it truly this easy to do this? Why have you not done this before?"

"Only recently has my power grown, you dolt!" Rita explained, smiling. "After Madame Woe gave me her Magic, I have become stronger than ever! I now have the power to have control over someone's body!"

"How!?" Goldar-2 asked.

He asked because he was curious for his own selfish reasons. Even though he had recently struck a deal with his Temporal Twin, he had no intention of sharing any power with him. If he could learn from Rita how to control Goldar, Goldar-2 would use it without hesitation to be in complete power over the person from which he was cloned.

"I will infect him with an evil Spirit!" Rita declared. "Tommy is currently trapped in another dimension, in my Crystal Ball. I have wrapped him in a cocoon, and with my new powers I am using Finster's technology to rip a Spirit from the Afterlife to _possess_ him. He is too much of a goody good to do my bidding, so I will have someone else use his body for me!"

"Why did you not just give me or someone else this Power Coin!?" Goldar-2 demanded.

"Why do you question me!?" Rita barked. "But if you must know... It takes a lot to be a Power Ranger. It takes something Finster learned is called ATTITUDE. After I picked Tommy I had Finster check him and it looks like Tommy fits the bill. Plus, he's a teenager like the others. He will be perfect to allow me to play mind games with the Power Brats!"

Goldar-2 nodded slowly. He was impressed with Rita's planning. When she was able to focus and not allow her Rage to control her, she was quite a malicious planner. A true threat to anyone who opposed her.

"And who is the person who will be inhabiting this boy's body?" Goldar-2 asked.

"It is a delicate process, Goldar..." Rita said as she stared at the Crystal Ball. "To ensure he doesn't interfere with Tommy's ATTITUDE, he needs to stay subdued. Not be conscious, but be enough of a presence in Tommy to make him evil. I am concentrating on this merger... to ensure there's not too much of him, but yet enough to keep Tommy in check..."

"But who is it, my mistress!?" Goldar-2 asked again, growing impatient.

Rita smiled. "That's for me to know."

Goldar-2 then stared on as Rita went on to finish the incantation. She caused the power of the Dragon Coin to merge itself with Tommy, become connected even more so with him than the main Power Ranger team was connected to their Power Coins. And all that was possible through the Magic given to Rita from Madame Woe. Goldar-2 stared in awe as Rita told Tommy to sit up from his cocoon and to become the new Green Ranger.

Opening his eyes, Tommy could feel the power in him. He could also feel something else... a presence in his mind. Telling him what to do. Guiding him. He thought it was himself, but that was far from the truth. He was under the influence of _something_ that had died long, long ago...

Rita gave Tommy, once she could feel that he was under her power, the Dragon Coin. She then explained to him what his mission was and who his enemies were. Then, focusing, she caused a mist of Green Morphing Energy to was over him. The mist permeated his body, entering into his pores and into every cell in his body. As it washed over him and passed on, where once stood Tommy Oliver was the Green Power Ranger.

Staring at him, Rita suddenly felt a knot in her stomach. Memories of the man who had feelings for her, Burai, passed through her mind. She remembered how time and time again he would try and win her over, how on Liaria he had believed in her and hoped for her to being the Margaret he once knew. How she had sent Goldar and Nasty Knight to Tarmac 5 to murder him...

Shaking off that feeling, she looked at him and smiled. She finally had her own Power Ranger. Victory was at her fingertips.

Lifting up his clenched fist, the new Green Ranger let out a proclamation. "To the fall of Zordon, and the destruction of the Power Rangers!"

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Goldar stood on the balcony, staring on as Rita-2 danced happily around her Crystal Ball. "What are you doing with that ball?"

"The person you picked for me is truly evil, Goldar! I had planned on sending an evil Spirit to possess him and put him under my control, but he is so corrupt that I think he'll follow me without me having to do that! I can _feel_ the evil coming from him!" Rita-2 declared.

"Then what are you doing with him right now?" Goldar asked.

Rita-2 smiled. "He is being pumped full of Morphing Energy! Being saturated! He will be more powerful than Zordon's rangers ever were! Oh, he's ready!"

The man in the Crystal Ball sat up from the stone bed he was on, just as Tommy had. The cocoon over him, pumping him with Morphing Energy and making him able to use the Dragon Coin, peeled off of him and slowly fell to the floor. As it did, his face was still obscured, hidden in shadows.

"Arise, my Green Ranger! I have a mission for you... to destroy Zordon of Eltar! And you must also destroy his Power Rangers! First is the Red Ranger-"

"Jason Lee Scott, I know. I know them all. Trini, Zack, Billy, Kimberly... They are already my enemies. And you, Rita? You have given me the thing I have always wanted: the ability to become more. The ability to become a Power Ranger. Those who I worked with _used_ me, baited me with the opportunity to become a ranger then took it from me at the last minute! But fate brought me to you, Rita, so I could show them how wrong they were to not choose me! This is my chance, Rita! And for that I owe you my allegiance! I will crush the Power Rangers!"

"Step forward and receive your Power Coin!" Rita-2 roared.

Standing up on the floor from the stone bed, the man's face was revealed. It was the Richie Mendoza from Timeline B2. Richie-2 stuck out his hand and suddenly felt the Dragon Coin appear in his palm. His eyes glowed with Green Morphing Energy as the mist of the same energy washed over him. As he felt the Morphing Energy crackle over him, he smiled.

"Guess what, Power Rangers? It's _morphin'_ time..."


	12. Chapter 12: Green with Evil

**Chapter Twelve: Green with Evil**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Zordon, having sensed a disturbance in the temporal flow who knew not was caused by the creation of a new Timeline, decided it best for himself to go into a meditative state using the Order of Meledon. Ever since Prime, the Rogue Watcher, had damaged Alpha 4 and caused him to be salvaged as Alpha 5, the robot assistant to the Eltarian Wizard needed to continually recharge himself as an after effect. Thinking the rangers would be okay on their own (which thing they had proven to him time after time), Zordon took advantage of his time meditating to convince Alpha 5 to recharge himself. That act, unbeknownst to him, left the Command Center vulnerable to a threat Zordon hadn't thought all the way through: a person with a Power Coin with mal-intent.

In a cloud of Green Morphing Energy, the being once known as Tommy Oliver appeared, wearing the Green Ranger uniform which had once belonged to Zordon's good friend, Burai. The being who was placed in Tommy's head (who Future: Omega Ranger was having a difficult time being able to assess) helped guide Tommy's actions.

 _Wait... what am I doing here?_ Tommy thought as he snuck around the Command Center after hearing instructions from Rita.

 _We are here to sever our Empress' enemies from their mentor..._ The Dark Voice said slowly to Tommy.

 _Oh, yes... right... wait, why?_ Tommy asked, his mind becoming less clouded.

 _Because that's what we are supposed to do for our master. She wishes to cleanse Earth of its filth and start anew..._ The Dark Voice said slowly and deliberately, trying to lull Tommy back into his dream like, obedient state.

 _Of course..._ Tommy muttered back to the Dark Voice in his mind drearily.

He then spotted Alpha 5 in a corner, hibernating. Remembering the disc he had been given by Finster, Green Ranger slid behind his charging area and slipped it into Alpha 5's disc port. According to Finster, it would render the robot useless.

"Alert! Alert! Hostile takeover!" Alpha 5 cried out as he felt his systems begin to be compromised.

"Sweet dreams, _tin head_." Green Ranger said happily as he ripped the connection between Alpha 5 and the Command Center, knowing without that connection the disc could have its full effect.

In the Time Warp, Saba heard Alpha 5's cries for help. He rushed to Zordon, who was sitting cross legged on the sand, and began to shake him.

"Huh.. what?" Zordon gasped. "What's wrong, Saba? I was almost to the bottom of the temporal flux we detected."

"There's an intruder in the Command Center!" Saba blurted out. "We must see what it is! Quick!"

Furrowing his brow and clenching his fists, Zordon leapt up. Sprinting the short distance to the hologram in the sky showing him the inside of the Command Center, Zordon could see a figure lurking in the shadows.

"How is it possible that you are here? Only one who has a Power Coin may enter this fortress undetected," Zordon stated, his hands beginning to crackle with Red Magic.

He then saw him, slinking out of the shadows. As he saw the form of the figure, he swallowed hard. It was the Green Ranger.

 _Burai!?_ Zordon thought, confused.

"Impossible..." Saba said, wide eyed.

Focusing, Zordon began a Nathadian Scan on the Green Ranger. This action prompted the mechanisms he had Alpha 5 program into place to assist his scan, doing a scan of their own. Zordon noted something different about the Green Ranger suit as he did: the shield seemed a bit... _off_. Bigger, and somewhat softer looking. He wondered about the significance of that fact.

"Yes, I have the Coin _and_ power. And there's nothing you can do to stop me." Green Ranger stated defiantly, showing his Power Coin to Zordon.

Hearing the voice, Zordon was relieved to hear that it was not some trick by Deviot to use Bio Mech Black (the Cyborg abomination of Burai) to somehow re-use the Dragon Coin to get what he thought was his rightful revenge. Nodding his head slowly, Zordon decided to address the man who was wearing his comrade's uniform. It hurt him to see that suit being used for wicked deeds, and he was determined to put an end to it.

"So... Rita has finally chosen someone to give it to..." Zordon said, trying to control his temper.

"Right, Zordon!" Green Ranger stated triumphantly. "I am her Green Ranger and _she_ is my queen!"

Right then, the scan brought up who Green Ranger was, yet the Command Center had not finished its own analysis. Feeling Dark Magic coursing through Tommy, Zordon realized he was under a spell.

"Tommy, she has you under an evil spell," Zordon stated in the hopes to snap Tommy out of it. "Let me help. I can save you."

Green Ranger scoffed while shaking his head in disbelief. "Worry about saving _yourself_ , old man!"

Despite his protests, the Green Ranger began to rip apart the console in the Command Center. Years of hard work and research that he, Saba, and Alpha 5 had been through to make the sensitive connections to his Time Warp were being destroyed right before his very eyes.

Then, he suddenly realized that his Power Rangers wouldn't know how to fight one of their own. Desperately Zordon tried to call out to Alpha 5, to get him to warn the Power Teens of their impending crisis. It was to no avail: Alpha 5 could not do a thing. And then, suddenly, Zordon fell to his knees. He began to mumble about being disoriented and weak.

Saba watched as the words flowed out of his friend's mouth. He then realized what was happening: Zordon had connected his own Nathadian Magic more directly into the Command Center than he had previously thought. He figured that Zordon had truly believed the Command Center impenetrable.

 _Not only did he route the Morphing Grid through the Command Center, but he did so to himself!_ Saba thought in dread. _The hubris!_

The last thing Saba heard before their connection was terminated with the Command Center was a proclamation from the Green Ranger: "It is done, my empress! Zordon has been eliminated!"

Tears welling in his eyes, Saba watched as Zordon fell onto his face in the sand. Kneeling down, he flipped Zordon onto his back. Saba could see sweat pouring down Zordon's face, and presumed he was sweating all about his body. Zordon was badly injured due to the damage done to the Command Center. He knew that Zordon was on his death bed.

Saba was shaking as he held Zordon in his arms. "Zordon... no, this can't be happening! Someone... anybody... help!"

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Green Ranger-2 appeared in the Command Center, just as his Timeline B1 counterpart did. Looking around, he laughed.

"Seriously? This place doesn't look all that high tech..." Richie-2 stated, walking around. "Dr. Phenomenus' lab is much better than this."

Not caring if he was overheard talking to himself, Green Ranger-2 began whistling as he walked into the main area of the Command Center. As he did, he woke up Alpha 5-2.

"Alert! Alert! Int-" He began.

Before he could utter another word, Green Ranger-2 jumped into the air and landed onto Alpha 5-2's chest. Sparks began to erupt from Alpha 5-2 as Richie-2's attack caused a forcible separation from his charging cords. Laughing as Alpha 5-2 struggled beneath him, Green Ranger-2 slipped the disc into Alpha 5-2 and short circuited him.

"Who dares enter the Command Center!?" Zordon-2 demanded, seeing the battle ensuing in a corner of the room from his tube.

Laughing, Green Ranger-2 stood up. Just as had occurred with Zordon, Zordon-2 began to run through scenarios in his mind of Burai, and how perhaps it was his old friend.

"Burai!?" Saba-2 gasped.

Taking off his helmet, Richie-2 laughed. "Sorry... I just wanted to look at you with my own eyes!"

"Who are you!?" Zordon-2 demanded.

Richie-2 shrugged as he placed his helmet softly on the console. "I'm the end of your Ranger Team. I am... the Green Ranger!"

Instead of ripping up the consoles like Tommy had done, Richie-2 began to push the buttons on it. He laughed with every push.

"What are you doing!?" Zordon-2 demanded, suddenly feeling lightheaded.

"The most effective way to defeat your enemy is take what is theirs," Richie-2 stated simply.

"How is he doing this!?" Saba-2 demanded as he caught Zordon-2 in his arms before he fell down.

"I... I don't... know..." Zordon-2 attempted to say.

Richie-2 then smirked as he hit the final button. "Long live Rita..."

"Nooo!" Zordon-2 yelled as the button was pressed.

"Zordon!" Saba-2 gasped as he saw him fall into a coma.

Meanwhile, in the Command Center, Richie-2 turned around from the tube. As he did, he watched as a giant ball of flame appeared before him. From the flame stepped out Rita-2, Goldar, and Finster-2.

"Oh, my..." Finster-2 stated, letting his amazement of being in the legendary Command Center wash away his guilt for what he had done.

"This was a great plan, my empress." Richie-2 stated, bowing before Rita-2. "Teaching me how to work the computer tech here to deactivate the need for Power Coins.

"Yes..." Rita-2 declared softly. "It just came to me... Why destroy the Command Center when I can take it for myself!? I'm glad my time working with Zordon in the United Alliance was finally able to help me do something! Oh, Zordon... your programming style is still the same!

"And now for my next trick! We are going to demoralize those Power Brats!"

. . .

Billy-2 sat in his garage, staring at the RADBUG. It was filthy, and it didn't appear as if it was going to change anytime soon. He had scheduled a couple of days ago (before the Timeline had been created, actually, thus it had actually been Billy, and not Billy-2, who had scheduled anything) to have a cleaning of the RADBUG with his friends. No one showed.

"I guess it's back to just the two of us, Jack..." Billy-2 said sadly to his pet.

"Billy!" Trini-2 was suddenly heard saying, rushing into the garage area.

Perking up, Billy-2 jumped off his chair. "Trini! You made it! Oh, hey Tommy!"

Tommy-2 smiled. "Sorry we're late. I had to finish helping Ernie. I promised him I'd stay after my karate class and clean up."

"I stayed with him, too. I completely spaced this. I'm so sorry, Billy," Trini-2 explained, feeling bad.

"Not a problem! I'm just glad you're here," Billy-2 said, beaming. "Oh, and you're teaching the karate class? I thought Jason was doing that?"

Tommy-2 shook his head. "Nah. He apparently quit this morning. Ernie was looking for someone to take his place last minute so I jumped in."

"Yeah, I heard about that." Jason-2 said suddenly, walking into the area with Kim-2 draped off his arm and Zack-2 strutting along behind them. "It's a shame they have to settle for second best."

"They wouldn't have to settle for anything if you'd just not quit," Tommy-2 stated defiantly, though inside he was terrified.

Jason-2 laughed. "I've given enough of my time to charity cases. I think I'm going to enjoy the rest of my time in high school."

"You know, Trini... It's awkward being the third wheel. I could also go for some eye candy draped off my arms, too." Zack-2 said, winking and blowing her a kiss.

"Did you get a chance to talk with Zordon about this!?" Trini-2 asked Billy-2, growing very upset.

"Zordon-smordon." Kim-2 said, smirking. "He doesn't run our lives, you know!"

"Zordon? That computer program you told me about this morning?" Tommy-2 asked, confused.

"Butt out!" Kim-2 demanded, sneering.

"This doesn't concern you." Jason-2 said, folding his arms. "But I'm curious, Billy the Snitch. What did you tell him?"

Billy-2 sighed. "I spoke... er... communicated with my... er... software... and it showed me that nothing was wrong... er... yeah..."

Billy-2 was outright lying. Zordon-2 had told him everything. About how some unknown force in their universe had created a new Timeline, and how he and everyone else in their universe were carbon copies of their Temporal Twins. He knew that those who stood in front of him were not the people he had memories of. He had hoped to talk to everyone about it during their cleaning of the RADBUG, but that hadn't panned out as he had planned.

"Then I don't understand!" Trini-2 stated, tears streaming down her face. "Why are you guys acting like this!?"

"Because I've been living my life as this emblem of perfection for too long!" Jason-2 cried out. "I want to relax and do what I want to do for once!"

"To be a true disciple of Martial Arts, you need to-" Tommy-2 began.

"Oh, just _shut up_!" Zack-2 demanded, stepping forward as if to fight. "You're so weird, dude!"

"And these are your friends!?" Tommy-2 asked, looking to Billy-2 and Trini-2.

"Not exactly..." Billy-2 muttered under his breath.

"I'm outta here." Tommy-2 said as he began to walk off.

"Tommy! Wait!" Trini-2 begged.

"Just... call me when you have some free time, okay?" Tommy-2 told her before leaving the premises.

"I thought he'd never leave..." Richie-2 stated, showing his face from his hiding spot in Billy-2's garage.

"Huh!?" The five gasped, spinning around to see him.

"Who are you!?" Trini-2 demanded.

Richie-2 smiled. "I'm just someone who has been a fan of the Power Rangers for quite some time..."

Jason-2 smiled a fake smile back while folding his arms and shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about. So buzz off."

"What is it you twerps say...?" Richie-2 asked for dramatic effect. "Oh, yeah! It's morphin' time!"

"Huh?" Zack-2 asked, voicing everyone's confusion.

"Dragonzord!" Richie-2 declared as he morphed into the Green Ranger right before their eyes.

"It's morphin' time!" Jason cried out, Fear permeating his rough exterior.

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

"Who are you!?" Blue Ranger-2 demanded.

"Your worst nightmare!" Green-2 declared as his hands began go glow with Green Morphing Energy.

"Power Weapons!" Red-2 ordered.

"Too late!" Green-2 stated, shooting both orbs of Green Morphing Energy at the RADBUG.

"Nooo!" Blue-2 cried out as the RADBUG exploded, the explosion throwing the team back onto his lawn.

"Goldar!? Now!" Green-2 ordered as Goldar teleported in, holding Alpha 5-2.

"Alpha!?" Yellow Ranger-2 gasped, pulling herself up.

"R...R... Rangers..." Alpha 5-2 was able to stammer out of his speech circuits.

"Let him go!" Pink-2 demanded.

"Oh, but I _will_!" Goldar declared. "But _first_ I must do _this_!"

The Power Rangers watched as Goldar took the disc buried in Alpha 5-2's back. He then pushed Alpha 5-2 onto the ground.

"Leave him alone!" Black Ranger-2 screamed.

" _Make_ me." Goldar laughed, causing his sword to appear.

Before any of the Power Rangers could budge, Goldar plunged the sword into the back of Alpha 5-2. Sparks erupted as the contact occurred. Each Ranger felt torn, their insides boiling in anger and panic.

"Ahhhh!" Alpha 5-2 cried out.

"I'm going to _kill_ you, Goldar!" Red Ranger-2 cried out as he rushed toward the golden Monster.

"Hi-yah!" Green-2 yelled, jumping forward and kicking Red-2 in the chest.

"Oof!" Red-2 gasped, falling onto his back.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to do that..." Green Ranger-2 stated, laughing. "We'll finish this some other time."

"To the destruction of the Power Rangers!" Goldar declared as he and Green Ranger-2 teleported away.

"Zordon!? Zordon!" Blue-2 cried out into his communicator. "No answer..."

Red Ranger-2 clenched his fist. "We gotta get to Zordon... We can't let Rita win like this!"

"But how!?" Pink Ranger-2 demanded.

"I don't know!" Red-2 blurted out. "But we'll find a way... We _must_..."

. . .

In the Command Center, Rita-2 laughed as she watched on the Viewing Globe before her two fighters appeared behind her. "Excellent! You did it!"

Green Ranger-2 folded his arms across his chest. "But can't they just _fix_ the little dude?"

"No," Finster-2 said suddenly. "I had Goldar stab him directly in his CPU. There is no rebuilding from there. Alpha is gone for good..."

"Ah-hahaha!" Rita-2 declared. "Now for us to do the next part of my plan! I-"

"Actually, Rita..." Green Ranger-2 interrupted. "I have something I think would help us out."

"Oh, yeah?" Rita-2 asked.

"Well, Zordon has been working with SHIELD to stop you guys from being at full force here in Angel Grove. What if... What if I told you I could destroy SHIELD from this inside?" Richie-2 asked, smiling behind his mask.

"Go on..." Rita-2 urged him to continue.

"I have my own government connections. Just leave it to me," Green Ranger-2 said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Okay, then. Go my Green Ranger!" Rita-2 demanded.

Nodding, Gree Ranger-2 began to teleport to the Alphabet Soup HQ. _Now it's time for my revenge... I'm coming for_ _you_ _, McKnight!_

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

"So, you're breaking things off with Matt?" Trini asked as they made their way from the Youth Center to Billy's house.

Kim nodded. "I just don't think it's fair to him, you know? He's been great, but I'm _really_ interested in this Tommy guy. He's super cute, athletic, and seems extremely nice."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, though? I mean... You don't really know him," Trini stated.

Smiling, Kim shrugged. "You should've seen him today at school. He was so impressive handling Bulk and Skull, trying to _defend my honor_. It was radical."

Trini smiled. "Well, I'm glad you like him. I hope it works out."

"Me, too," Kim stated. "I was suppo-"

Trini furrowed her brow as Kim stopped talking. Staring at Kim, she gasped as she saw what looked like her best friend become frozen. Looking around, she then noticed that _everything_ around her was frozen.

"Rita..." Trini gasped under her breath.

"No. It's me," The Hooded Man stated, appearing as if from out of nowhere.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Trini said, not sure if she should relax or not.

"Trini... you are about to encounter your deadliest threat yet," The Hooded Man stated. "Be strong. Be this team's anchor. This will be your first test from me."

"Why should I trust you!?" Trini demanded.

"Oh, how the mind soon forgets..." The Hooded Man stated, the sun reflecting off the black lenses of his goggles. "I need you to, through this trial, focus as hard as you can. Make an extra concerted effort to be there for your team. If you perform how I deem necessary for you to perform, we will move onto the dream training. If not? Well, we'll be stuck in this phase of your training until you're ready."

"But I-" Trini began.

"-sed to meet Tommy after school at the Youth Center during Jason's karate class. He never showed up, though. I hope he's okay..." Kim finished, Time suddenly resuming.

"What?" Trini gasped, startled by the Hooded Man resuming Time. "Right... right..."

As they continued walking, Agent S watched his soon to be step daughter walk off with Trini as he spoke into his pocket device. "This is Agent S reporting in. I spotted the one who crept into this universe before. His use of the For-"

"Not another word." The Hooded Man stated, turning on his bladed weapon as he appeared before Agent S. "Now delete that entry before you send it to your superiors."

"You can't make me do anything!" Agent S declared.

Sighing, the Hooded Man waved his free hand in the air. "This is not worth your time."

Agent S' eyes suddenly grew droopy. "This... is not worth... my time..."

"You will delete any mention of me in your records," The Hooded Man continued.

"I will... delete... any mention of you... in my... records..." Agent S stated as he did so with his pocket device.

"You will forget this happened," The Hooded Man stated as he vanished.

"Huh? What just happened!?" Agent S demanded. "Agent S to Agent Chen!"

"This is Agent Chen. What is it?"

"I... I don't know! I was monitoring my asset when suddenly I experienced a temporal event. I can't remember any of it. How is that possible since I have the Blessing of the Traveler!?" S demanded.

Silence was heard from Chen before he answered. "We do not know. Report in and we will try to figure out how this was possible."

Nodding, Agent S turned on a Time Portal. Clenching his jaw in anger, he walked into it and went to wherever Freelancers for Traveler went. Acting quickly, Future: Omega Ranger tried sending a Time Force Camera into the vortex after Agent S. As it approached the vortex, though, the Time Force Camera was instantly vaporized. Sighing in frustration, the Future: Omega Ranger toggled his screen back to Kimberly and Trini, both the subjects of extra-dimensional beings trying to use them for their own gain.

As the five teens spoke, Alpha 5 was able to gain enough energy to contact them via their communicators. Realizing they were unable to teleport, the rangers decided to use the RADBUG to gain access to their base. Upon entering, they were shocked to see the destroyed Command Center. They were even more shocked to see Zordon no longer in his tube.

Upon finding the malfunctioning Alpha 5, Billy was able to take out the disc and get Alpha 5 back up and running. Before they could question things further, they saw that Rita had sent Goldar down to the outskirts of Angel Grove. Leaving Alpah 5 behind, they went to battle.

"Ay-yi-yi..." Alpha 5 stated, trying to remember what happened to him. "Why can I not remember!? Oh, Zordon... where are you!?"

Alpha 5 toiled, trying hard to determine Zordon's exact coordinates. No matter how hard he tried, though, nothing was working. The consoles seemed too damaged for him to have any headway.

All the while, Green Ranger watched as Goldar battled the Megazord. He was anxiously awaiting his time... And that's when Goldar vanished.

 _Go, Tommy... Fulfill your destiny!_ The Dark Voice stated.

"Now it's my turn!" The Green Ranger stated, jumping up and rushing into the Megazord.

Activating the door, he ran into the main cockpit and laughed. "Long live Empress Rita! Oo-yah!"

Rage filled his entire being. He punched and kicked at the unsuspecting teens, damaging their consoles and throwing them all out of the Megazord. Jumping down after them, he could feel the being inside of him begin to take control more and more. He tried fighting it, but the spell over him tried to comfort him. Lulled back into a false sense of security by Rita's Magic, he was convinced the being fighting for him was doing what was best for Rita's plan. Almost like an out of body experience, Tommy watched as the Green Ranger fought the team with great finesse. The being inside his body used a mix of its own and Tommy's fighting styles, especially when fighting the talented Red Ranger. It was a brutal fight, but each ranger one by one fell to the Green Ranger. And then, Tommy watched as the being controlling his movements focused with a concentration Tommy could not comprehend. Channeling every ounce of his being, the Dark Voice caused a massive energy ball of Morphing Energy to erupt from the Green Ranger and hit the Power Ranger team.

 _How did you do that!?_ Tommy asked.

 _I will teach you. But not now. Now is the time to_ _fight_ _._. The Dark Voice stated as he watched the Rangers fall through Tommy's eyes.

"Retreat!" Red Ranger suddenly yelled.

"What!?" Black Ranger gasped.

"We gotta get out of here. We have no idea how to fight him. We need Zordon's help!" Red Ranger cried out, ashamed.

"But he's gone!" Blue Ranger countered.

Staring at the Green Ranger, Red Ranger clenched his fist. "We... we just gotta go! There's nothing we can do if he beats us!"

"Yes, _run_ Power Rangers!" Green Ranger said as they teleported away. "But you can't run forever! Hahaha! To the fall of the Power Rangers! I will destroy you one... and all! Hahaha!"

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Dr. Sam Beckett-2 sat speaking with his colleague, Al-2. "So we do this today. We end Quantum Leap today and ensure McKnight can't use it for himself."

Al-2 nodded, sitting across from him. "Yes. I have a plan that we- what!?"

Suddenly, bursting into the employee cafeteria was the Green Ranger-2. Laughing, he began to attack everyone in the room. Guards were storming in, shooting at him. But it was no use: they couldn't detain him.

"Run!" Beckett-2 screamed.

As he and Al-2 rushed to the door, Green Ranger-2 saw them. "I don't think so! No one escapes!"

He then pulled out an implosion device Finster-2 had given him. Laughing, he pushed the button to detonate it. As it began to explode, he teleported away.

Meanwhile, in another building on the Alphabet Soup "campus", General McKnight-2 felt the explosion. "What is going on!?"

Running out of his office, he found himself in the midst of dozens of employees. They were all rushing about, trying to see out the window at the end of the hall what had happened. When they spotted McKnight-2, they parted like the Red Sea and let him to the window. A crater lay where the building had once stood. Smoke billowed from the crater.

"What happened!?" McKnight-2 demanded.

"We don't know!" One man stated. "But the whole building is gone! Our scanners show no signs of life, either, sir!"

McKnight-2, being the hard man that he was, furrowed his brow. "And what of Quantum Leap!? At least say we can save that project!"

Another man shook his head. "Sir, the morpher, the gear... all of it were in there. If the building is gone, so is Quantum Leap."

"Argh!" McKnight-2 shouted. "Who could have done this!?"

"It was _me_." Green Ranger-2 stated simply, teleporting in to stand before McKnight-2.

"That voice..." McKnight-2 gasped. "Mendoza!?"

"Hi-yah!" Green Ranger-2 roared, performing a flying jump kick.

Everyone in the hall watched, almost as if they couldn't breathe. The new mysterious ranger appeared out of nowhere and had attacked their general. In one hit, McKnight-2 was thrown back into the window. The sound of cracking glass was other worldly in that instant as McKnight-2 was seen falling through the window. Walking casually to the window, Green Ranger-2 watched as McKnight-2 hit the pavement below. He expired on impact.

"Okay, then!" Green Ranger-2 declared, turning around. "Anyone who wants to fight me is more than welcome. You will be terminated, in more than one sense of the word, from this company if you attempt it, though. Everyone else who wishes to stay on? Well, you will have guaranteed employment from here on out. And your new employer? None other than me, Richie Mendoza. The Green Ranger!"

. . .

 _ **Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B2**_

September-2 appeared in the Time Warp-2, kneeling at Zordon-2's side. "This is very bad. I cannot find a way to the original Timeline."

"Well, what does the Guardian have to say!?" Saba-2 demanded.

"You don't understand..." September-2 stated. "There is no Hall of Legends in this universe. It wasn't copied over. We... we're alone here."

"But then how is there a second... _you_?" Saba-2 asked as he held onto Zordon-2 tightly.

"I happened to be out in the universe when the new Timeline was created," September-2 stated. "I was trying to see if I could read the Timeline better from within the universe instead of from the Hall of Legends. I supposed that hypothesis is null, now. If I didn't see this coming, then it doesn't matter."

"What about Zordon!?" Saba-2 demanded.

"I... I don't know. This new universe is even more unpredictable than our original one. I guess this is truly a universe that can't be predictable..." September-2 stated.

He found himself smiling at that. Everything he had wanted ever since he had teamed up with Laguna back in the Nathadian Universe had been to create a place where no one would be able to manipulate others. A place where free Will was real, and there was no Pattern. Although he was trapped in one universe, and he was scared, one part of him felt solace in the fact that his hard work had finally given him fruit. There was finally a completely unpredictable, and free, universe existing in the multiverse.

"Maybe we can get him out of here for a moment. Just enough time so that he doesn't interfere with Dulcea and he Spirit in the Nothingness, but long enough to find him some help?" Saba-2 asked.

September-2 shook his head. "No, it doesn't work that way here. My preliminary research suggests that Dulcea is still only tied to our Earth-1 counterparts. She isn't binding us to here."

"Perfect! Then let's escape!" Saba-2 declared happily.

Sighing, September-2 decided to just tell Saba-2 the bad news without any fluff. "Unfortunately, with how this Timeline was transcribed into this part of the multiverse, from what I can calculate without my Trizyrium Crystals... you and Zordon were in a Time Warp when this universe was created. To allow this universe to maintain stability, I postulate that once you leave the Time Warp, you would destroy this entire universe and every living thing in it."

"What!? Why!?" Saba-2 demanded.

"I yet do not know. This universe is unstable. I fear for it and its future, but if Zordon were awake right now I know he would not wish to endanger the trillions upon trillions of lives in this universe. I must go now," September-2 stated.

"You can't leave me here! You must help stop the Green Ranger and save Earth!" Saba-2 implored.

"I am sorry, but there is an entire _universe_ depending on my research. I can't devote my time to one group of people. You must understand that!" September-2 declared. "Every moment I am here, I am missing time I could be using to find a solution to the impending doom I think this universe is in for! You and Zordon have been through much worse than this! What if I miscalculate something in the battlefield and I am captured? I don't know how to fully defend myself in this new universe and, quite frankly, I am the best shot this universe has to survive!"

Saba-2 sighed. "Please hurry, then."

As September-2 vanished into a Time Portal he created with the only Trizyrium Crystal he had left, Saba-2 looked up into the sky. It was weird for him after so many thousands of Earth years to not see the hologram floating up in the sky over his head. He could only guess what Rita-2 was doing without Zordon-2's interference.

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Rita-2 smiled as she saw her Green Ranger slowly begin to take control of Alphabet Soup via the Viewing Globe. She then turned to Goldar and laughed as she was flanked on either side by Baboo-2 and Squatt-2.

"It is now time to give him the Sword of Darkness!" She declared. "Not only will it amplify his power, but it will also bind him to me forever!"

Goldar cocked his head to the side. "How so?"

"I have enchanted it with Dark Magic that I received from Madame Woe! All I need to do is touch it, focus on the Green Ranger, and then pass it onto him. Once I do that, he will be bound to me... _forever_!" Rita-2 declared.

Goldar paused before nodding slowly. "Perfect, my empress! We will rule the universe once he has been fully bonded to you!"

"Yes..." Rita-2 said, clenching her fist in victory.

"Finally! And now we can prove to Dark Specter our commitment to the United Alliance of Evil!" Baboo-2 declared.

"We did it! We did it!" Squatt-2 chanted.

"Let me go and fetch the Sword of Darkness then! We must begin right away!" Goldar said, bowing down before Rita-2.

"Excellent! Go forth, my Goldar!" Rita-2 ordered.

As he teleported out of the Command Center, Rita-2 looked around. _I can't believe it! After all of these years... I have finally won! I have rid the universe of Zordon, taken his Command Center, made my own Power Ranger, and once my Green Ranger has eliminated SHIELD I will have full access to all of Zordon's research! I have finally won!_

Reveling in her own triumph, Rita-2 suddenly saw the Green Ranger appear in the Command Center beside Goldar. "Ah, my Green Ranger! Goldar? Hand me the Sword of Darkness!"

"Er... I can't do that, my empress," Goldar stated.

"What!? Why!?" Rita-2 demanded, Red Energy flowing though her.

"Because I already have it!" Green Ranger-2 declared.

As he did, his Dragon Shield hardened up and grew smaller around his chest. Summoning the Sword of Darkness, he rushed forward and stabbed Baboo-2 in the chest. As he did, Goldar summoned his own sword and did the same to Squatt-2.

"Now who's the coward...?" Goldar asked, laughing as he pulled his blade out from Squatt-2.

The two traitors met up in the middle of the Command Center as Rita-2's henchmen exploded around her. Roaring in fury, Rita-2 began shooting spells out at Goldar and Green Ranger-2.

"I don't think so." Green Ranger-2 declared, pushing a button beside him.

As he did, Rita found herself trapped in a small barrier of Morphing Energy. "Let me go!"

Goldar laughed. "I have waited for this for a very, very long time!"

"Traitor! I will destroy you for this!" Rita-2 yelled. "How could you, Green Ranger!? I gave you _everything_!"

"Except what I really want! My _freedom to do what I want_." Green Ranger-2 demanded, pointing at her with the Sword of Darkness. "Goldar grabbed the sword and told me what you were wanting to do. He said if I swore my allegiance to _him_ , that he wouldn't take away my freedom."

"If he's doing this to me, what makes you think he won't betray you later!?" Rita-2 demanded.

"If he does foolishly betray me, Rita dear... then at least I will have the free Will to fight back. It's better than just being your puppet!" Green Ranger-2 declared. "Are you ready, Goldar?"

"I've been charging this whole time..." Goldar revealed, lifting up his sword which was glowing.

"Let's do this!" He yelled, pushing the button on the console to release Rita.

"Magical source: Degen-" Rita-2 cried out.

Before she could finish her massive spell, though, Goldar sent a blast at her. At the same time, Green Ranger-2 stabbed the ground with the Sword of Darkness and sent a massive wave of Dark Magic and Green Morphing Energy at Rita-2.

She fell to her knees, energy crackling around her. Blood dripped down her mouth as her vision began to grow dark. She could hear Green Ranger-2 and Goldar laughing at her. She couldn't believe that after she had been so close, she would fall just like that.

"Say hi to McKnight for me," Green Ranger-2 stated.

Right then and there, Rita-2 felt something lifted off her. Looking to the side, she saw her staff was broken. With it being destroyed, so were the spells Lord Zedd and the Ghost of Darkness put on her. Waves of regret flooded through her as she was finally herself again.

"Good _bye_ , Rita!" Goldar sang happily.

Looking up at Goldar, she sneered. "My... my name is... _Margaret_."

Suddenly, Margaret-2 saw her own body explode in the Command Center, destroying the Viewing Globe as she did. She looked around in confusion.

"Welcome back to us," Agent Ecce said, appearing before her.

"Who are you?" Margaret-2 asked.

Not wanting to complicate things, Ecce smiled. "I am an Ethereal, here to usher you to the Afterlife."

"They destroyed me, then?" Margaret-2 asked, sadness in her voice.

Ecce pursed his lips as he tried to decide how to tackle that question. "Well... in a way, they freed you my dear. You are no longer Rita Repulsa. You are once again yourself. The lies you were told over the years... Bansheera's brainwashing, the Ghost of Darkness' infection, Zedd's spell... all gone. You are yourself again."

"But I've done so much evil... how can I live with that!?" Margaret-2 demanded.

Ecce smiled. "That wasn't really you. But, if you don't cross over to the Afterlife, you are doomed to become a Demon and once again become Rita Repulsa. I don't believe you want to repeat those same mistakes."

"You're right..." Margaret-2 stated as the white light leading to the Afterlife appeared. "But... I do have one regret. More so than any other... Burai. Is there anything you can do for him?"

Ecce shook his head. "I'm not a god, just someone with a task to usher people to their rightful place."

Margaret-2 nodded slowly. "Well, if there is anything you can do, please do it. And... tell him I'll be waiting for him.

Breathing in deeply, Margaret-2 took a step into the light. Within moments, she was gone.

Ecce then nodded slowly. "As an Ethereal there is nothing I can do for Burai... but as a Rogue Freelancer? Don't you worry, sweet Margaret. I'll do all I can..."

. . .

Tommy-2 sat alone in the Youth Center. He watched the television set at the bar, with reporters showing the explosion that had occurred downtown at what was thought to be a computer company. Ernie-2 had been absent from the Youth Center since the explosion had happened, and he had left Tommy-2 in charge to make sure everything was locked up while he was gone.

 _Why did we ever leave San Angeles?_ Tommy-2 thought. _I lost my first match in years, got tangled up with the wrong group of punks, and now I'm in a city that seems to have constant attacks on it from what people are telling me. I... I don't know if this scholarship is worth it. Maybe I should just head back home..._

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

"How did she beat us to it!?" McKnight demanded, throwing his phone off of his desk.

"I'm sure we can still-" Richie began.

"Shut up!" McKnight barked. "We all took far too long!"

"But sir, you told u-" Phenomenus began.

"Everyone out _now_!" McKnight roared.

From the conference room, several top ranking agents filed out. One of them noticed how angry Richie looked and made his way to him.

"Mendoza, listen. I-"

"I don't want to hear it, Bennet," Richie snapped.

"Sorry, Richie." Agent Bennet stated, taking a step back. "I just know how frustrating it can be seeing things blow up in our superior's faces after you tried telling them about it."

Richie squinted his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I know you've been vying for the Red Ranger spot," Bennet stated. "Had they already had given it to you, then we would already have a ranger up and running before Rita. Now it feels like we're playing catch up with Zordon and Rita, instead of being pioneers in the ranger tech area."

Sighing, Richie nodded. "I guess that's true. I just don't know why they are waiting so long to promote me..."

Bennet chuckled. "Things have been weird here ever since I was transferred to GA Rex's little project of his here. Things in this sector of the government have always been run a little... _differently_ to say the least. Not that you have any experience with that, though. You've always worked for Rex, right?"

Richie nodded. "Yeah, he promised me big things for working for him. I'm still waiting for the pay off, though."

"So am I," Bennet said.

"Well, why do you stay, then?" Richie asked.

"The incentives," Bennet stated simply. "My family gets taken care of, and my kids get to have top notch education."

Richie furrowed his brow. "You let your kids go to school here!? But we're pumping them full of drugs!"

"I know," Bennet stated. "And I've looked into everything Dr. Kaplan has done. The drugs are excellent for boosting my kids' natural abilities. Something they couldn't get anywhere else."

Sneering, Richie turned his back on Bennet. "That's morbid, dude."

As Richie walked away, Bennet sighed. _It may seem that way, but I will do anything for my family. I know it's morally grey, but it's what's necessary for my kids to be the best they can be..._

As he thought that, his portable phone rang. Pulling it out of his blazer pocket, he saw it was his daughter calling.

"Hey, Claire-Bear," Bennet stated, beaming.

From the Youth Center, Claire Bennet smiled as she spoke on Ernie's phone. "Hey, Daddy. I'm done with cheerleading practice."

"Oh, dear... Can't you make practice go a little longer? You are the Varsity Captain, after all," Bennet stated.

Claire rolled her eyes. "Only because Kimberly Hart quit the team, Dad. And why do you want practice to go later?"

"Because I can't come to pick you up yet, Sweetie," Bennet stated. "Just... just wait there, okay? I'll be over there as soon as possible."

"Fine, Daddy. I'll see you soon." She stated, plopping down on a chair at the bar.

As she did, she saw Kimberly walk into the room. _Speak of the devil. We used to be such good friends, and then she started hanging out with those other four... Now everyone just calls them the "Goodie Good Squad". What happened to you, Kim?_

She opened up her eyes to try and overhear what Kim was saying as she saw her approach Ernie. She missed what Kimberly said, but heard Ernie.

"...but I haven't seen Jason in a while." Ernie lied, swallowing hard.

Through Kaplan's surveillance, he knew full well what had happened to Jason. After school that day, Tommy had tricked Jason and teleported him the Dark Dimension. That was what alerted Alphabet Soup to the Green Ranger's identity. Ernie wished he could say something to Kimberly, but knew he had to bite his tongue. He wanted to, somehow, get Kimberly on the right track to know that Jason was not doing fine and that she should be worried.

"You think he's in trouble or something!?" Ernie asked.

Before she could dwell on it, Bulk and Skull approached Kim and began harassing her. Claire found herself groaning as that happened.

 _Don't those two have lives!?_ Claire thought, rolling her eyes.

She then watched as Kimberly tricked Skull to kiss Bulk. Chuckling to herself, Claire then watched as Kim bumped into the new guy in school, Tommy. She overheard them talking about how Jason never showed up to meet with Tommy after school. Claire found Tommy's attitude rather odd and a little too rude for the simple conversation, but she just figured that's how he was. She had seen him walking around school earlier that day wearing his karate shoes and, although she found him cute, decided that someone who walked around all day wearing that kind of gear was probably someone she needed to steer clear from.

She then heard Kimberly meet up with the dancer in the school, Zack. She shrugged as they both ran off after Tommy.

 _Man, those guys are_ _glued_ _to each other!_ Claire thought. _I remember when Kim and I were that close... I guess people just change when they grow up... Oh, well..._

. . .

Goldar-2 laughed to himself as he saw Kimberly and Zack chasing after Tommy via Rita's telescope. Things were progressing much more slowly in this universe than they were in his home Timeline, according to what he had heard from his Temporal Twin. The two had met up earlier that morning, and he was shocked to find out how Goldar had turned the tables on Rita-2, taking over empire. The two had thought about doing the same to Rita, but then they realized they would be spreading themselves too thin. Working in tandem, they decided it best to focus on Timeline 2 for the time being, since the ball was already rolling there. Then, once things were clear there, they would take down the Rita from Timeline 1.

Then, later, Rita had caused for Jason to be sent to the Dark Dimension. The Goldars realized they didn't want to leave Jason alone, for fear that he would find a way to escape or worse yet, find a way to the other Timeline. They also didn't want to leave Rita to her own devices, fearing she would ruin the Green Ranger and that scheme for them. They had decided to split up, leaving Goldar-2 with Rita to supervise her and Goldar with Jason in the Dark Dimension. That was where Goldar-2 found himself as his Temporal Twin toyed with Jason.

Semi-mockingly, Goldar-2 turned to Rita. "I think Pink Ranger _suspects_ something, your evilness!"

"Well then, why don't we have a look and see?" Rita asked, checking for herself.

Rita then decided that she would have Tommy morph right then and there to confront and hopefully destroy the two. Goldar-2 thought about the logistics behind that and realized the likelihood that he could eliminate both rangers was low. Goldar-2 figured that would then let the Power Rangers know Tommy's true identity and ruin their plans.

"I suggest we send Putties down, my empress," Goldar-2 stated patiently. "Give Tommy a chance to slip away and let him continue his secret campaign!"

"Yes... that's a wonderful idea!" Rita proclaimed. "Send down the Putties! And then send Green Ranger to finish off Jason... once and for all!"

Goldar-2 frowned. "But my empress, shouldn't-"

"Now!" Rita cried out.

Goldar-2 wasn't sure about that tactic. He thought keeping Jason alive as ransom could be something good for them in the near future. He wanted to, desperately, destroy Rita right then and there. He knew he couldn't though. His Temporal Twin had accomplished that feat with a fully charged Green Ranger and the help of advanced tech from Zordon-2. That and the fact that it would destroy the time-table they had given themselves.

"Yes, my empress..." Goldar-2 reluctantly said, moving forth to summon Tommy.

. . .

Scorpina sat atop a building in downtown Angel Grove. She thought about how odd it had been to suddenly be freed from her prison that the Order of the Claw had put her in next to the Nexus Tree ten thousand years earlier. Even though she had been able to use an Order of the Claw fighter as an avatar for a bit after she had been captured, that avatar had just been captured herself by Zordon and had been trapped with Rita in her Space Dumpster.

She had known, though, that her time would soon come once she had been freed from the Dumpster with the rest of the gang. Upon abandoning her host body and sending her avatar back to the boulder in the Nexus, she had waited until the day Rita would call for her again. With the new power she had gained from Madame Woe Rita had indeed found a way, through Dark Magic, to call Scorpina forth. Rita had thought Scorpina would had been a great force in her army, but there was something Rita had never discovered about Scorpina: that Scorpina's allegiance was with Dai Shi.

"The time soon approaches that we will lure the Power Rangers into Rita's trap!" Goldar-2 proclaimed.

Scorpina furrowed her brow. "I have no intention of helping Rita, Goldar."

"Oh?" Goldar-2 asked, confused.

"I'm tired of pretending! My master is Dai Shi! Now I demand that you respect my wishes and let me go to him!" Scorpina declared, turning and brandishing her sword. "If you let me go, we need not fight."

Goldar-2 chuckled. "You and I both have our reasons for being here, and they both do not revolve around _Rita_."

"Oh?" Scorpina asked, confused.

"Let's just say you and I have bigger roles to play here than you think. I want to take Rita down as much as you want to go back to Dai Shi," Goldar-2 explained. "But Zordon will always be there, in the way. We are so close to bringing him down, though! If you work with us long enough, I guarantee we can take Zordon down. Then the Power Rangers will not be in your way and no one would stop you from freeing your master!"

"Why should I trust you?" Scorpina asked.

"Because if you scratch my back, I will scratch yours... yes..." Goldar-2 stated. "Nothing will stand in our way. We defeat the rangers, you help me defeat Rita, and then I will help you free Dai Shi!"

Scorpina paused. _Well, he's not trustworthy but he has a point with the Power Rangers. Okay, I will help them rid the planet of the rangers, and then get Dai Shi back so he won't be opposed by Zordon upon his return. He'll be proud of me for doing that for him..._

 _That fool._ Goldar-2 thought all the while. _Once she helps me destroy Rita, I'll destroy her and everyone else from this universe! Including that_ _other me_ _._

"Deal," Scorpina stated.

"Good, because that fool Green Ranger Rita recruited has let Jason escape the Dark Dimension!" Goldar-2 stated. "And they should be arriving here to fight us at any moment..."

All the while, unbeknownst to Scorpina, the Goldar from Timeline 1 was already grown and causing havoc on the other side of the city. He was fully aware of the fact that he would be weakened by SHIELD's barrier, but knew that soon he would have Scorpina fighting by his side. Before Scorpina could see the other Goldar, Goldar-2 teleported back to the Dark Dimension so that he could return to his home Timeline and resume leadership where his Temporal Twin left off.

Scorpina then saw Goldar running amok, attacking the actual downtown area as SHIELD jets flew overhead and attacked him. _How did he grow so quickly!?_

Summoning forth the boulder which had once been her prison, Scorpina used it to travel to where Goldar was. As she did, she saw the five Power Rangers appear. Teleporting from the boulder, she began to engage the Power Rangers in battle. It had been years since she had been able to use the tactics Dai Shi had taught her, and it felt good to do so once again.

As they were being beaten, Red Ranger kept getting flashed of when he had been trapped in the Dark Dimension. With every blast and hit he took, he could see himself hiding in the fog of the Dark Dimension, hiding from Goldar. Or about to be impaled by the Green Ranger's Sword of Darkness (which thing he had received from Rita in Timeline 1, like his counterpart in the other universe).

 _I... I failed you Zordon..._ Red Ranger thought as he saw Giant Goldar approaching them...

. . .

 ** _Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B1_**

Zrin knelt beside Zordon as September and Zordon-A continued concentrating. "Come on, Dad... Come on..."

"This is a bad idea!" Zordon-A grumbled as he focused his Meledon powers. "All of us together are just going to attract the Supreme to this place!"

"Focus!" September barked. "We're close to re-establishing a connection to the Command Center!"

"Wait... look!" Saba cried out, pointing into the sky.

"You're doing it!" Zrin yelled out in triumph as the hologram to the Command Center began to re-appear.

"... where _are_ you!?" Alpha 5 was heard demanding.

"Alpha? Alpha!?" Zordon-A stated, his face appearing in the tube.

"Zordon?" Alpha 5 asked.

"Can you read me!?" Zordon-A cried out.

"Zordon!" Alpha 5 replied enthusiastically. "Yes, Zordon! I'm picking you up!"

"Tell him you're in Sector Q-9!" September said to Zordon-A.

"I am in Sector Q-9," Zordon-A stated. "Are you reading me!?"

September frowned. "I can feel it. You're breaking up! I don't know if he can!"

"Q-9! I'm on it, Zordon!" Alpha 5 declared as he got to work.

As Alpha 5 worked, everyone in the Time Warp saw Green Ranger teleport in. Clenching his old, wrinkled fists Zordon-A began to yell for Alpha 5 to look out. It was too late, though: Green Ranger had shut Alpha 5 down once again. His eerie laugh echoed through the open landscape of the Time Warp.

"I'm gonna make sure you're history this time, Zordon!" Green Ranger proclaimed.

Suddenly, Zordon began to recover, and heard Green Ranger's voice. "Alpha...? Is that you...? What is happening?"

"Shush!" Whispered Zordon-A.

" _I'm_ what's happenin', old man. The Green Ranger. Rita's prize warrior."

"Green Ranger," Zordon-A stated. "You will not win following her dark path."

Green Ranger laughed. "You are wrong. She will _win_ , and evil will rule."

Memories of Ultimecia destroying Earth flooded into Zordon-A's mind. Memories of having to put down his own wife, followed by destroying his best friend after Ultimecia had turned them both into Nobodies danced through his mind. Sneering, he replied to the Green Ranger simply.

"Evil will _never_ rule."

"Oh, it _will_ , Zordon... When I defeat the Power Rangers."

"That is impossible." Zordon-A stated, clenching his jaw.

"Enough! It's time to send you to another dimension. And this time you'll be lost... forever..." Green Ranger stated triumphantly.

September furrowed his brow as he began to understand what Tommy was typing in. He looked up in horror as beams of Morphing Energy began to shoot into the Time Warp from the Command Center.

"He's really sending Zordon to another dimension!" September gasped. "It's locked onto his Nathadian Magic!"

"Green Ranger! Tommy! No!" Zordon-A gasped as the hologram ended.

Zordon-A then watched as his Temporal Twin from Timeline B-1 began to be encircled by Morphing Energy, throwing Zrin and Saba away from him. "We have to stop this!"

"We can't!" September cried out. "It's connected to him!"

"Dad!" Zrin cried out, trying to get to Zordon but not succeeding.

Zordon-A saw his son, crying out for his father. His _true_ father. He'd been trying to tell himself that since he raised Zrin, that he was his true father. But he knew he had only gotten Zrin through dishonest means. He knew that deep down, he had taken Zrin from Zordon and Trinity, and that he owed Zordon a monumental debt because of that.

"You're attracted to Zordon's Nathadian Magic, huh!?" Zordon-A cried out, putting his hands up in the air. "Then how about you take the original Zordon!? Ancient source: Meledon force!"

"Dad!?" Zrin cried out. "What are you doing!?"

Jumping into the Morphing Energy Tommy had sent to the Time Warp, Meledon Ranger-A began absorbing the current. Throwing Zordon to the side, away from danger, Meledon Ranger-A fell to his knees. He then looked up at Zrin.

"I'm making things right, son!" Zordon-A yelled. "I love you and I always will!"

"Dad! No!" Zrin yelled as he instamorphed into black armored Nathadian Ranger.

September read Zrin's intent and shook his head, yelling over the deafening roar of the Morphing Energy encircling Zordon-A. "It's programmed to hit Zordon, not you! You can't save him!"

"He's my father! I have to try!" Nathadian Zrin protested.

"He is also your father!" Zordon-A screamed. "He needs you now more than I do! Please make sure nothing happens to him!"

"Dad!" Nathadian Zrin screamed as suddenly Meledon Ranger-A vanished.

"Zordon..." September stated, looking down with tears in his eyes.

"Dad! Nooo! Daaaad!" Zrin cried out as he demorphed. "September!? We have to find him!"

"We'll do everything we can, but... but first we need to help your other father," September stated as Saba made his way to Zordon.

Zrin balled his hand up into a fist. _You will pay for this, Rita... You will_ _pay_ _... I will not rest until you feel the very same thing I feel right now... You_ _will_ _suffer for this!_

. . .

 ** _Universe M54331Z-B1_**

Claire Bennet suddenly felt the earth shake beneath her. As she did, she saw Ernie running around, trying to get everyone in order during the chaos.

"Calm down, everyone! Let's get out of the building before it collapses!" Ernie screamed.

Panicking, Claire found herself swept up in a mass of people rushing out of the Youth Center. As she ran, she thought she saw Bulk and Skull jump into a bus and drive off in it. Wondering whether or not that was a stupid or genius move, she continued running as hard as she could.

Before long, she found herself running into men dressed in camo and wearing assault rifles over their shoulder. The quickly ushered her into a truck and began driving her off, crowded with others. As she sat there, she overhead a soldier in the back of the truck speak.

"Agent Bennet's daughter has been secured."

 _What!?_ _Agent_ _Bennet? No... I must've heard wrong... my dad's a_ _paper salesman_ _!_ She thought, confused.

Before long, she found herself in a building downtown. Apparently she had been placed there with others as a safe zone away from the battle between Goldar and the Power Rangers. Feeling scared, she reached for the locket she kept around her neck.

"Oh, no!" She gasped. "I took it off for practice and put it in my backpack... My backpack is back at the Youth Center!"

She rushed to the front door, only to be stopped by a very big man who was sporting a very big gun. "Please, I need to go and grab my backpack!"

The man shook his head. "Only after the attack is finished."

"But the fight is already out of the city! Please let me pass!" Claire demanded.

"Sorry, I cannot. Those are my orders."

Pursing her lips, Claire turned around. _I have to get that necklace back. That's the only thing I have of my grandmother's... I_ _have_ _to find a way out of here!_

. . .

Senator Petrelli walked with Dr. Harlan and Dr. Phenomenus, looking around. "This is very good. I knew GA Rex was doing good things here, but... wow. I'm impressed. So when should this Quantum Leap thing go online?"

"Very, very soon," Harlan stated.

"Well, I'm glad. I mean, it'll give me another excuse to come into town once it's complete." The senator stated, looking around at all the tech.

"Oh? Why is it so important for you to come into Angel Grove?" Phenomenus asked.

Petrelli smiled. "I have family who lives here, coincidentally. Not involved in Alphabet Soup, just... yeah, he's a nurse here."

"Oh, that's a great profession. I used to be a medical doctor." Harlan stated, smiling.

"Yeah, well... tell that to my pops. Hehe... He doesn't see a big future for my brother. Oh, well. Anyway, please continue showing me around!" Senator Petrelli said as they left the room.

Once they did, Gabriel Grey quickly walked into the room, sliding his badge to open the door after they left. He had been dying to get some alone time to look over Quantum Leap, and had been waiting for them to leave. His access as an IT expert allowed him access to the equipment. Ever since he had overheard McKnight speaking about it the other day, he had been obsessing over it.

 _This is amazing!_ Gabriel exclaimed in his mind. _Just amazing! And all of this helps make Dr. Beckett one of the most valuable men in Alphabet Soup!_

I could be just as valuable, really.

Gabriel thought, looking at the machinery. _My computer program, the Sequencer of Youth for Launching Alphabetsoup for Rex or SYLAR, would help McKnight so much! It would help them track down so many more potential recruits! They're always looking to improve their formula, and I just know my program can do that for them! Now all I have to do is figure out one final piece of tech, and I think Dr. Beckett's machinery might give me a clue about that..._

As he thought, he suddenly heard some commotion in a corner of the room. Swallowing hard, he ducked under a piece of equipment nearby. He then heard voices enter the area.

"Are you sure about this, Sam?" He heard Dr. Al Calavicci ask.

"Yes, I am," Sam Beckett proclaimed.

"But this is your life's work!" Al continued protesting. "You can't just throw it all away!"

"It was ruined the moment Rex got his hands on it," Beckett stated. "And now we have to make sure he doesn't use it to get the Quantum Rangers up and running. He will be much too dangerous with the ability to manipulate Time."

"But, but... Sam! Listen!" Al yelled. "Remember all the good things we were going to do with this? Fix the horrible things of the past? Like stopping Metropolis from being destroyed?"

Gabriel heard Sam pause for a moment. "It's too dangerous now. And Rex has opened my eyes to why that was wrong. I mean... imagine how many ripples could have happened! I could actually make the world a _worse_ place!"

"But... my wife, Sam! My wife!" Al suddenly yelled, crying. "I was going to save her!"

"... Al... I never knew..." Sam said. "I'm sorry, I..."

"No, no, no..." Al replied. "You... you're right. We can't let Rex have it."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I'm sure," Al replied.

"Nooo!" Gabriel yelled, sliding out from his hiding place.

"Who are you!?" Al asked in shock. "I thought the place was closed!"

Sam narrowed his eyes. "The IT guy?"

"This is a very special machine, meant for great things!" Gabriel proclaimed. "How could you want to destroy it!?"

"You don't understand," Sam said. "I-"

"You're broken! Both of you!" Gabriel shouted. "I can't let you do this! The world needs this machine! SYLAR needs this machine!"

"Who's Sylar?" Al asked, confused.

Sam shook his head, stepping up onto the platform of the Quantum Leap machine. "Sorry, kid. But I gotta shut this down."

"Nooo!" Gabriel yelled, rushing up to the platform.

"Buzz off!" Al screamed, running to wrap his arms around Gabriel and stop him.

"Get off of me!" Gabriel screamed.

Sighing, Sam shook his head and began typing in the codes which would make the machine useless. "Nothing can go off without a hitch, can it?"

"Sam! Hurry! I'm losing my grip!" Al yelled.

"I'm going! I'm going!" Sam proclaimed.

"Get. Off. Of. Me!" Gabriel yelled, finally pushing Al off.

As Al fell off him, he hit the machine. Unfortunately, it was on a big red button that said "Do Not Push". As fate would have it, he pushed it.

"Al! No!" Sam screamed as the machine turned on. "No! No! I wasn't finished yet!"

"Sam!" Al screamed as a burst of electricity and Time Energy began to course over the platform.

Al tried to get to Sam, but the energy hit him in the chest and shot him backwards, sending him sailing and hitting a wall. As he hit, he fell unconscious.

Gabriel, all the while, stared at it in wonder. "It's... beautiful..."

"No!" Sam screamed, trying to push more buttons on the console atop the platform of the machine. "This... this is not good!"

The machine turning on was one thing. Of course it was bad, since Sam wasn't prepared to be on that machine, but it was also bad because he had already begun the termination coding. Those entries along with the sudden nature of the machine being jump started became a quick recipe for disaster.

Suddenly, Sam felt the energy hit him hard. It felt as if he was on fire. All at once, he felt lightheaded and nauseous. His clothes were suddenly disintegrated off of him. Where his clothes once were, a spandex like suit wrapped around him. It glowed a bright white. He looked quickly to the monitors around him and read what it was.

"Huh!? Morphing Grid Energy!? Someone already programmed this to create Power Rangers!?" Sam cried out in shock.

"White Quantum Ranger online," The computer, Ziggy, stated.

"No! Abort!" Sam yelled.

"This is spectacular..." Gabriel said, wide eyed.

"Aborting." The computer stated, suddenly recognizing Sam's voice and the programming he had put in.

"No! Don't ruin your destiny!" Gabriel shrieked, picking up a pipe and throwing it onto the platform.

"No, you idiot! That will reac-" Sam began.

Before he could finish, the pipe hit the orb of Morphing and Time Energy around Sam. It kick started the machine and surrounded him with power.

"Malfunction," Ziggy stated simply.

"Oh, boy," Sam was heard saying as the machine exploded.

"Ahh!" Gabriel screamed as the explosion threw him back.

As Gabriel tried lifting himself up, Al awoke from the explosion. Shaking his head, he looked around in shock.

"Sam...? Sam? Sam!?" Al yelled in a panic. "Where... where are you!?"

*AUTHOR'S NOTE: FOR MORE OF SAM AND AL'S STORY, STAY TUNED FOR **POWER RANGERS: QUANTUM LEAP**! FOR MORE ON GABRIEL'S STORY, READ THE ONE SHOT ENTITLED **THE ECLIPSE** *

. . .

The Red Ranger let out a sigh of relief as the Megazord caught the bus which was flying through the air, pushed off a cliff. Billy had been able to slow the descent using some Morphing Energy the Megazord had to ensure the bus didn't explode or get crushed as it landed in the Megazord's hand. Rita had, despicably, targeted Bulk and Skull and had used them as bait to get the Power Rangers to a certain point outside of the city. They knew now why, and didn't think to think about it. All they knew was that they had to save Bulk and Skull, which they had been able to do.

Placing Bulk and Skull to the side to be safe in their bus, the Power Rangers turned to battle Goldar. He was fighting with more ferocity than he ever had before. The confidence boost he had received from destroying Rita-2 was still in him. He felt as if he could rule the world, which was in fact his intent.

Suddenly, Blue Ranger noticed the energy levels in the Megazord dipping. He did some looking into it and found that for some reason they were losing Solar Energy. Looking even further into the issue, he was shocked to find out an eclipse was starting.

"An eclipse is starting!" He cried out. "Solar Power is diminishing!"

 _What!? There weren't any eclipses scheduled to happen!_ Yellow Ranger thought in a panic.

They continued fighting, trying to not allow for the lowering energy levels to deter them. Then, something horrifying occurred: Rita in a brilliant move threw Scorpina into the mix. The Power Rangers had learned to already be struggling against one opponent. Throwing in a second when all Hope already seemed lost was a huge blow to their egos.

 _No... this can't be happening!_ Red Ranger thought in a panic. _We can't lose like this!_

"Solar Power is down twenty five percent!" Blue Ranger announced.

They fought and fought, but they couldn't seem to win. The two Monsters together seemed overwhelming. Attack after attack came, and they couldn't do anything to save themselves.

"Oh, a black sun is a thing of such beauty, isn't it!?" Rita cried out in victory.

She was ecstatic with her own insight. She had been planning for that time ever since she had gained Madame Woe's Witch powers. She could feel herself gain the ability to tap into the Lifestream of the Moon. To be able to feel the elements. Using such Dark Magic, she knew she could force an eclipse on Earth. To cut off the Megazord from it's much needed Solar Energy. She knew that she was winning.

Trini sat there, feeling the same as everyone else: doomed. Not only did she let herself down, but she also let down the team and the world. But, above all, she let Li, her brother, down. The Hooded Man told her that she would need to be instrumental in this, their hardest challenge. Yet, she felt as if she hadn't contributed anything.

 _There must be_ _something_ _I can do... That man... He believed that I could do something to change everything... but what!?_ Trini cried out in her mind. And then, it hit her like a bag of bricks what they were missing.

"Jason!" Yellow Ranger cried out. "The Power Sword! Hurry!"

As she said it, everything made sense to the Red Ranger. "Right! We can use it to charge up the Power Cell!"

As the Power Sword landed, summoned by the Power of Thunder, the Megazord got back into the swing of things. Not fully charged, yet still able to hold its own. Then, just as things looked to be going well for the rangers, something completely unexpected happened.

"Mu-hahaha!" Tommy's voice was heard loudly, coming closer.

The Megazord turned around and froze for a moment. They couldn't believe what they were seeing: it was the Green Ranger, holding the Sword of Darkness. He had grown to be the size of the Megazord.

He rushed at them, fighting with everything he had. The Dark Voice continually fed him fight moves, helping him become stronger and better. The Megazord seemed to have no chance. For every hit it would block, Green Ranger landed several more. Staggering about, Megazord found itself surrounded on all sides by its enemies.

 _For you, Dai Shi!_ Scorpina thought.

 _Just like I destroyed Rita, you five shall also fall!_ Thought Goldar proudly.

 _Soon I will be the only Power Ranger left on Earth! Rita has won!_ Tommy reflected.

 _Soon, my revenge on Zordon will be complete!_ The Dark Voice proclaimed.

"Hahaha! I love when the plan is working just like I knew it was going to!" Rita declared. "And now for the end of the Power Rangers... Finish them!"


	13. Chapter 13: Breaking the Spell

**Chapter Thirteen: Breaking the Spell**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Richie-2 stared at the weapon on the table laying before him as he stood on the balcony of the Moon Palace. Goldar had brought it to him before Goldar-2 had summoned him to Timeline 1 to fight Jason in the Dark Dimension (which thing Richie-2 knew not about: he believed Goldar was out planning a new attack). Goldar had told Richie-2 about the power he had witnessed from the weapon thousands of years earlier, and about the beast which would be unleashed upon the masses opposing Dark Specter-2 once Richie-2 went to use it. Extending his hand, Richie-2 reached forward to take what he was seeing as his destiny.

"What has happened here!?" A voice bellowed from behind Richie-2...

Spinning around, Richie-2 was shocked to find himself staring at none other than Dark Specter-2. He could feel his heart in his throat, not knowing what the lava-like Demon was doing, or who he was.

"I... I... What are you!?" Richie-2 gasped.

Dark Specter-2 laughed. "I am the leader of the United Alliance of Evil! And where is my general for this area!?"

"Goldar?" Richie-2 asked in confusion.

"No!" The massive beast roared, growing slightly bigger as he grew angrier. "Rita! Where is she!?"

Richie-2 swallowed hard. He wasn't ready to be destroyed for mutiny. If his allegiance system of Earth was anything like what he thought the UAE had, he was certain Dark Specter-2 would frown on Goldar and Richie-2's attack on their leader.

"She... she fell in battle!" Richie-2 found himself blurting out. "She thought she could take the Power Rangers on herself, but she failed!"

"And who are you!?" Specter-2 demanded.

Instamorphing, Green Ranger-2 folded his arms. "I am your newest weapon."

He stared at the ranger, considering him before responding. "So Rita decided to finally choose a ranger, eh? Hehehe... Her hubris must have gotten the best of her, after she called upon you. I assume since he mentioned Goldar's name that he has taken control of the operations here?"

Richie-2 sincerely considered telling Dark Specter-2 that no, he himself had taken control. Weighing his options though, he decided it best to not do so. He not only knew nothing of the UAE and how it operated, thus not knowing what he would be required to do as a general in its ranks, but he also did not want to cause a civil war to occur with Goldar once he returned. Looking at Dark Specter-2 through the lens of his visor, Green Ranger-2 nodded.

"Yes. He has taken control of this operation. Ever since he has, we have not only been able to sever Zordon's connection to outside his Time Warp, but also take control of the Power Rangers' base and stop them from being able to get back into it. Our scientist, Finster, has his base of operations out of that Command Center while we continue to use the Moon Palace as a base to oversee the entire planet," Green Ranger-2 declared, lying about the chronology of events to make it look like Goldar was more competent than he was.

"Then it is for the best that Rita has passed," Dark Specter-2 stated simply. "I had considered sending Lord Zedd here to retake his place over the operation on Earth, but it seems as if it is in good hands. And if you perform well, Green Ranger, you will definitely have a place next to me as I take the universe and reshape it in the way I wish to have it."

And as quickly as he appeared, Dark Specter-2 had vanished from before Green Ranger-2. Sighing, Green Ranger-2 turned and looked at the weapon he had been greedily spying before: the Dragon Dagger. He picked it up gently. As he did, the Power Morpher on his belt began to transmit to his mind the data on how to play the weapon. Clutching it tightly, Green Ranger-2 caused a mist of Green Morphing Energy to cover him, teleporting him to the location the Dragon Dagger was telling him to go.

Standing on the docks at the side of the ocean side of California, Green Ranger-2 gently pressed the mouthpiece of the Dragon Dagger to the lips of his helmet. Breathing out slowly, he began to press the valves on the Dagger's body. Almost as if he was possessed by his Power Morpher, he could feel it direct his movements. He had never been musically inclined, but at that moment he even fooled himself into thinking he was an expert. With every push of a valve, he could hear the notes from the Dragon Dagger change its pitch. The notes blended together in the air, creating the sound of a triumphant fanfare. The return of the Dragonzord upon the face of the planet was at hand, and his return would definitely be as epic as was the music for his grand re-entrance.

"Dragonzord!" Green Ranger-2 yelled. "I summon you to be my weapon against this planet! With you by my side, nothing will stop me from showing the world my true power!"

. . .

Jason-2 sneered as he sat in Billy-2's garage, staring at the television. He studied the scene that was flashing from the monitor. The Dragonzord was marching about, swatting at the few SHIELD jets which Richie-2 had been unable to stop from arriving in Angel Grove.

"Jason?" Billy-2 asked.

"He goes by Jase now, man," Zack-2 stated. "Show some respect, will ya!?"

Billy-2 sighed. "Okay, _Jase_... Why are we not going out yet?"

"Because I need to study his movements... see how he thinks." Jase said, furrowing his brow as his eyes did not leave the screen. "From what I can tell... yeah... he's not trying to really destroy anything. He's attacking buildings that pose a minimal amount of damage. He's just trying to bait us to go."

"Okay, then," Trini-2 stated. "Let's do this!"

"Wait!" Jase shouted angrily. "If this is what he wants, I don't want to give it to him!"

"But people are at risk, Jase..." Kim-2 stated, stepping forward and folding her arms across her chest. "Baby... shouldn't we still go?"

"It's not the best tactical move, though..." Jase continued saying, shaking his head. "I dunno, Sugar... I wanna make sure we don't doom the team."

"Makes sense, bro." Zack-2 said, nodding slowly.

"I think whatever tactics you're employing are null in void due to the increasingly dynamic nature of the attacks against the populace... _Jase,_ " Billy-2 said as a rebuttal. "If we don't do something soon, then perhaps he'll target something with more vigor that will force our hand..."

Jase sneered. "Fine, fine... Whatever. It's morphin' time, then."

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

Fully morphed, the Power Rangers then stared at each other. They hadn't thought about what they would do without the ability to teleport. Conversing quickly, they decided to drive in Zack's car. The five morphed teens huddled into the small hatchback and made their way downtown. As they did, they were stopped by a SHIELD agent who was directing traffic away from the heart of the attack.

"You're gonna have to- huh!?" He gasped, noticing who was in the car. "What in the...!?"

"Let us through!" Red Ranger-2 cried out from the driver's seat. "We're gonna save the city!"

Baffled, the SHIELD agent nodded and waved them through. About five minutes later, the car pulled up and had to parallel park in front of a building near the Dragonzord. As they all filed out of the car, stretching due to having been cramped in the tight space, they looked up as the Dragonzord began to loom over them.

"Man... that is intimidating..." Pink Ranger-2 stated, looking up in awe.

"Let's crush him, guys..." Red Ranger-2 proclaimed, lifting up his arm. "We need Dinozord power! Now!"

They stood in the street, confused. Looking around, they began to have knots of fear twist their stomachs.

"What's going on!?" Yellow Ranger-2 asked.

"This isn't good... watch out!" Pink Ranger-2 cried out as the Dragonzord moved to crush them.

Diving out of the way, the Dragonzord's foot landed on the concrete with a massive booming. The whole earth seemed to shake as it happened. With another step, the Dragonzord stepped on Zack-2's car.

"No!" Black Ranger-2 screamed. "I just bought that thing yesterday! No! You'll pay for this, Rita!"

"Where are the zords!?" Red Ranger-2 shouted in Fear.

. . .

In the Command Center, Finster-2 continued his tinkering of the console. He had been able to cut the rangers off from their zords, and was masking his guilt for having done that with the excitement he had for looking at the familiar programming he had once known as a scientist in the United Alliance. It had been quite a while since he had seen programming as good as Zordon's, and with every push of a button he felt at home once again.

"And now... the crowning achievement!" Finster-2 stated upon pushing some more buttons. "Say goodbye to the Morphing Grid!"

. . .

"Ugh!" Red Ranger-2 roared. "Let's try and blast this guy! Power Weapons, now!"

As the Power Rangers outstretched their hands, instead of their Power Weapons appearing they saw Morphing Energy begin to hover and crackle around their hands. Before they could think it over, their suits began to explode and spark. Before long, they found themselves thrown onto their backs. Upon gaining orientation, they were finally fully demorphed.

"Ugh..." Zack-2 stated. "What happened!?"

"We've been demorphed!" Billy-2 cried out.

"How!?" Kim-2 demanded.

"It doesn't matter now! _Run_!" Jase screamed, leading the way as the Dragonzord began to march forward to step on them.

From up on a building, Green Ranger-2 was laughing maniacally. "Ah-haha! Yes! Run! This'll be funner than I thought!"

Suddenly, Goldar-2 appeared next to Green Ranger-2. He had just finished telling Scorpina to stay on and fight for Rita, and had immediately afterward made his way to the Dark Dimension and used the Time Device to teleport to Timeline B-2.

"Richie!" Goldar-2 cried out. "This... this is amazing! We're winning!"

Green Ranger-2 did not know that the Goldar he was speaking to had not yet seen the great success they had been having. He nodded, but thought it odd how surprised Goldar-2 sounded.

"Yes... and we are now going to win everything! Watch as I crush the Power Rangers!" Green Ranger-2 cried out, laughing as he continued to direct the Dragonzord in the game against the teens.

"Crush them _now_!" Goldar-2 warned.

Green-2 laughed. "They can't do anything to stop this, Goldar. C'mon... let's have some fun!"

Goldar-2 stopped and considered that thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay, then... but make them suffer!"

Down below, Jase continued running. He had outrun his team, and when he noticed that he stopped.

 _Ugh! Those idiots!_ He thought angrily. _If I didn't need them I'd be long gone by now! They gotta catch up_ _now_ _!_

"Jase! Jase!" Kim-2 screamed, leading the rest of the team.

"Kim! C'mon!" Jase yelled back, turning around and running again once the team had caught back up.

"Hmm..." Green Ranger-2 stated mockingly. "Should I... use the missiles? The drill at the end of the tail? Hmm..."

"I want to see them _suffer_!" Goldar-2 yelled happily.

"Missiles it is!" Green-2 stated happily, sending the message to his zord via music from his Dragon Dagger.

Dragonzord's eyes began flashing. Suddenly, a missile popped out of each finger on the Dragonzord's hand. Laughing, Green Ranger-2 caused only one of the missiles to fly out.

"Ahhh!" The teens screamed as the building in front of them blew up.

"What do we do!?" Billy-2 demanded.

Sighing heavily, Jase stood up slowly and looked at Dragonzord. "We go down... we face our enemy and go down with honor. There's nothing more we _can_ do..."

Green Ranger-2 stared down at Jase as the former Red Ranger stood tall, staring directly at the Dragonzord defiantly even though he had no Morphing Energy left in him. "Fine... if that's the way you wanna go out... _fine_. I'm going to _looove_ this. Fire!"

Music danced from the Dragon Dagger. As it did, the missiles erupted from the Dragonzord. Green Ranger-2 watched as they sailed down, hitting where the Power Rangers stood. He smiled happily behind his visor as a massive explosion erupted from the impact.

"I don't believe it!" Goldar-2 cried out.

Laughing, Green Ranger-2 nodded. "And that, Goldar, is the end of the Power Rangers!"

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

General McKnight watched the Megazord battle glumly. As the Megazord proved it was no match for the Green Ranger, staggering as it tried to stay afoot. McKnight was quite upset that Fury wasn't able to get his SHIELD agents any closer, but because of Rita's actual presence in the battlefield the area was impenetrable. She was exuding a powerful barrier which left SHIELD scratching their head.

"It's time, Harlan." McKnight stated, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he sat at his desk. "Initiate Global Strike."

Harlan, who sat at a chair at the opposite side of McKnight's desk, sat with his body facing the monitors. Upon hearing McKnight's order, he sighed and took off his glasses.

"General McKnight, sir... I can't get it up and running yet," Harlan said, voice soaked in regret. "The Think Tank at Alphabet Soup hasn't been able to finish up."

McKnight shook his head slowly. "Please, Harlan... please! We just lost Quantum Leap. The prototype morpher is fried, Dr. Beckett is MIA, Dr. Calavicci isn't talking, and that Gabriel Grey fellow Richie said was responsible for it letting Beckett into the facility to begin with has vanished. Outside of all of this the rangers seem to be on the threshold of being annihilated. I will _not_ fail Rex! I refuse to! This nation _needs_ us to succeed, Harlan! Get Global Strike up and running _now_. That's an _order_!"

Harlan stood up slowly. "I will give it all I can, sir. I will grab Phenomenus, Raymond, and Fairweather to help supplement the kids at Alphabet Soup."

"Which Fairweather? Clark or Angela?" McKnight asked, eyes still glued to the monitors showing the Megazord's struggles.

"Either or both." Harlan replied as he moved to the door. "We're the good guys, General. We'll find a way out of this."

As Harlan walked out of the room, McKnight pursed his lips. _I know I'm doing all I can to save this nation of ours, but... does that really make me the good guy? A big part of me doesn't even know anymore. I've been following Rex so blindly that I don't even know if I have a moral compass anymore! He tells me using the kids is the right thing to do, but... is it? Are all of these sacrifices really going to be worth it in the end? Should I keep going until I find it? Will it be too late then...?_

. . .

Mora stared at the computer screen as Scorpina's stinger wrapped around the Megazord's head and began draining what little energy the Megazord had left. Tears were welling up in her eyes as that happened. She gripped Susie Sunshine tightly.

Rose noticed that and scowled. "What? You suddenly have feelings for them? Seems out of character for you..."

Mora scoffed. "What? How could you say something like that!? The heroes fighting off this threat are going to _fail_. We're all going to become slaves or worse to those space vandals!"

Rose nodded slowly. "Ah, that makes sense. You don't care about the Power Rangers themselves. Just that fact that _you_ are doomed if they fail."

"I didn't say that! That's not fair, Rose!" Mora demanded. "I'm sorry for how I acted before! I promise I was thinking of you!"

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to look past what you tried to do to that Alyssa girl," Rose said in a flat tone. "You have been a great friend to me ever since I was placed here, but... I don't want you turning me into someone as heartless as you've become."

"That's not fair..." Repeated Mora. "You're my best friend, Rose... please forgive me..."

Rose sat in silence at that. As the Megazord was being damaged heavily by the trio of villains on her monitor, the only thing she could think about was how torn she was about her ex-best friend. A part of her still thought of Mora as her dearest confidant. The other part of her saw Mora as a darkness threatening to spread out and infect anyone who dared cross her, or anyone Mora cared about. Rose knew deep down that Mora did in fact care about her, but what Mora was willing to do to uphold their friendship scared Rose.

"Mora... I- Oh no!" Rose gasped.

"No... no!" Mora screamed as she let Susie Sunshine fall to the ground. "Noooo!"

They watched in terror as the Megazord erupted with a rain of Morphing Energy sparks before falling down a chasm Rita caused to appear in the battlefield. One by one each zord fell into the abyss.

"What... what now!?" Mora cried out, tears streaming down her face.

 _I'm just a little girl. Both of us are! We shouldn't have to be in situations like this..._ Rose thought bitterly. But she knew she had grown to have no other choice.

"Mora? I think it's time Global Strike came online," Rose stated simply.

"But I thought we needed to figure out if there was any polarity problems or something like that, right?" Mora asked.

Rose bit her lip. She had lied to McKnight to get more time to escape about the polarity problems. She hadn't yet gotten the opportunity to break out of Alphabet Soup, but she was close to finishing her plans. But she knew the fate of the world was at stake, and getting McKnight's Global Strike Power Rangers up and running was more important than her freedom. She knew whatever freedom she could get from sabotaging Alphabet Soup would be short lived if she didn't give them the information they needed to create what she was believing would be Earth's last hope against Rita... Power Rangers: Global Strike.

"I think that I may be able to fix it soon, Mora," Rose lied, knowing there was nothing to fix. "I'll do some final tinkering... You call Dr. Harlan, okay? Tell him Global Strike should be up and running in no time."

. . .

Billy felt sick to his stomach. He had just seen his loyal zord swallowed up by the earth. Deep down he knew they were just inanimate weapons, but a part of him had bonded so well with his zord that it truly felt as if Rita had destroyed a piece of him. He knew his teammates felt the same way.

And it showed. They were complaining about not having Zordon, about the new Green Ranger, about the loss of the zords. Their tone indicated defeat. Except for Jason. In the face of opposition, only he and Alpha 5 were the ones who sounded confident that their team could still win.

And that's when it happened. The Command Center had finished analyzing the data on the Green Ranger. They stared at the monitor in shock as the identity of the Green Ranger was revealed to them: none other than the "new guy in town", Tommy Oliver.

Jason felt sick to his stomach. _No wonder we had a hard time fighting this dude. This is the guy who nearly beat me one on one... no one has ever gotten that close to beating me! We are in serious danger..._

Upon hearing Alpha 5's hypothesis that Rita had Tommy under mind control, Jason's vigor was fueled once again. He proclaimed to the team how important it was that they didn't give up. An innocent person was being mind controlled by Rita, and he couldn't stand idly by as she ripped apart a person's psyche like that.

Billy agreed. _It would be an impossible situation... how would it feel to be mind controlled like that!? I felt violated when I saw Kimberly in_ _my_ _body... Knowing someone else was in control of my every action bothered me to no end. And she didn't even do anything malicious to my life! I hope I never again have to face such a threat like that. And I feel deeply for Tommy's plight. I feel your pain, Tommy... we have to save him!_

Billy turned and, without any word from anyone, began typing in the console. He was going to do everything he could to help defeat Rita.

. . .

Ernie was listening closely as Kim went to confront Tommy. Both he and Kaplan had known for a while Tommy's true identity. In fact, McKnight had ordered them that once Global Strike was online to send them directly to the Youth Center the moment Tommy walked in. They were going to ambush him and "neutralize" him by any means necessary. Ernie had his doubts about that, because it was obvious Tommy was being controlled. But, in the end, he knew just as much as any other person in Alphabet Soup that the life of one person wasn't worth giving Rita a weapon she could use to defeat mankind.

"Tommy..." Kimberly stated. "Tommy, I know..."

Tommy clenched his jaw as he continued working on the bench press machine. With each repetition, he knew he was getting stronger for his queen. Kim's presence there was irritating him, for she was interrupting his important strength training session. He glared at her before continuing his exercise.

Kim breathed in slowly, afraid of what was to happen with her next statement. "I know you're the Green Ranger."

Ernie's heart sank to his stomach. He watched as a truly demonic look washed over Tommy's face. He stopped his exercise and turned to stare at Kimberly, an evil sneer on his face.

"Well then, Pink Ranger-" Tommy began.

Kim was startled. As Tommy called her the Pink Ranger, she could feel her insides turn to ice. She stared at him in horror, for the first time being able to actually hear the Green Ranger's voice coming from Tommy's mouth. She was completely caught off-guard. Would she have to morph right then and there, in front of everyone?

"-you should also know that you and the other Power Rangers will soon be destroyed."

"Let us help you!" Implored Kimberly. "We can _break_ Rita's spell."

Leaping up from the machine, Tommy walked up to Kimberly. He towered over her as he stared into her eyes. The being possessing him was fueling the Rage he felt toward Kimberly. That Rage was telling him to destroy her right then and there, but he knew it wasn't the time or place. Not yet.

"Rita is my empress! She will soon rule the world..."

"Tommy, _please_ let us help you." Kimberly begged, reaching out for his arm.

Pulling it away from her, Tommy stared at her with pure hatred while Green Morphing Energy erupted from his eyes. " _You_ have been warned..."

As Tommy walked away, Kimberly's mind was rushing with a spree of thoughts. None of them were exactly coherent, but they all had the same intent behind them: if the Power Rangers couldn't figure out how to stop Tommy soon, the world was doomed.

At the same time, Ernie did all he could to stop himself from jumping over his bar and tackling the skinny kid. Every muscle in his massive body twitched, ready to slam into the kid he knew he could snap like a toothpick. But in the back of his mind, he knew he would be outmatched. He knew that Tommy was one of the most powerful beings on the planet, and that with one word he could morph into the Green Ranger and not only destroy him, but everyone else in the Youth Center. Sighing heavily, he just continued to wipe down the countertop, hoping that soon the replacement team for Zordon's rangers would be operational and be able to soon end the threat of the evil Green Ranger.

All the while, the Dark Voice laughed in Tommy's mind. Soon my revenge on Zordon will be complete!

Tommy suddenly began to shake his head. _Huh? What... what am I doing!?_

You are helping me... _us_ fulfill our empress' desires... The Dark Voice said quickly.

 _Yes... Empress Rita must be served..._ Tommy stated in his mind, quickly getting back under Rita's control via the Sword of Darkness.

The Dark Voice quickly realized how close he had been to ruining his revenge. Every time he thought of his own needs, his own plans, he split from Tommy's Spirit and began to let him gain control again. As long as the Power Rangers stood, he could not do that. Only after the Power Rangers were eliminated could he finally break free from Tommy's body. Then he could not only be uninhibited by Zordon or his team, but he could attack Rita herself unchallenged. And then he could do what he had started to do millions of years prior, before he was backstabbed by the man he thought of as his partner: he would be able to take the Greatest Treasure in the Universe.

. . .

The Power Rangers stood atop a building. They had made their way downtown from Billy's house as soon as Trini had heard about a "monster" attacking downtown. They were shocked to see what looked like one of their zords. Their eyes saw for the first time the dangerous machine known as the Dragonzord.

The Green Ranger laughed at them before ordering his new zord to attack them. Just as had happened the with Power Rangers from Timeline B2, the Green Ranger ordered the Dragonzord to shoot missiles at the Rangers. Since they were morphed (unlike their counterparts), they could survive such an impact. They were badly hurt, though, and to add insult to injury they were thrown from the building to the concrete below.

Slamming down hard, they pulled themselves up to hear Green Ranger taunting them even further. Clenching his fist, Red Ranger looked up and yelled at Green Ranger.

"Tommy, no! Don't do this, man!" Red Ranger cried out.

Hearing his name, Tommy suddenly grew sad. Deep down, he knew what he was doing was wrong. He began to cry out and scream, hoping to gain control. Instead, the only bit of his true self that was shown to the Power Rangers was a statement laced with regret, before ordering the Dragonzord to continue its spree of terror.

"But I _must_. There is no other choice..."

The Power Rangers watched in fear as Dragonzord continued to rip apart the bay area. All Black Ranger could think about were the vast amounts of casualties that must have been occurring during that attack. And he was powerless to stop them...

. . .

 _ **Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B1**_

"Dad?" Zrin asked as Zordon began to wake up.

"What... what happened?" Zordon asked.

"We'll explain later," September said, his eyes glowing with Time Energy. "Alpha was able to get you reconnected with the Command Center. He is a loyal assistant..."

"Why are his eyes glowing like that!?" Zordon asked, pulling himself up but keeping his eyes glued on September.

"We'll explain later!" Saba barked. "The rangers need you right now!"

"Right, right..." Zordon said, shaking his head to get his orientation back. He then looked up to the sky as the hologram began to reform above them. He could see Alpha 5 typing away furiously.

"Alpha 5... Well done! You have reestablished our computer link up," Zordon stated, regaining his composure.

"Zordon! It's you!" Alpha 5 cried out happily. "You're back!"

"Yes, Alpha." Zordon stated, his mind getting a quick recap of the events which had occurred to his ranger team via the Order of Meledon. "Get them to their zords immediately."

Alpha 5 stared at Zordon in distress. "Their zords have been taken away! The Green Ranger is on the rampage!"

Suddenly getting an image of a scene with Tommy fighting Putties on a beach, Zordon's mind was given an answer to their problems. "By destroying the Sword of Darkness, they will break Rita's evil spell. Now as for the zords..."

Focusing with every bit of Nathadian Magic he could, Zordon shot out a blast of higher tier Red Magic. His nose began to bleed from both nostrils as he did so, the Red Magic erupting from him like a shockwave out of his Time Warp and to Earth proper.

"Dad! What are you doing!?" Zrin demanded.

Saba sneered. "He's using that infernal Nathadian Magic again... it'll be the death of him!"

"Strong language..." Zrin commented, knowing people of Saba's Timeline didn't usually speak in such a way. "Well, what is he doing, though?"

"We'll just have to wait and see..." Saba stated, watching his best friend once again sacrifice himself for the planet.

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

The Power Rangers suddenly felt surges of Morphing Energy and Nathadian Magic flow through them. They looked down and saw their Power Coins begin to glow with their respective Ranger colors.

Looking down, and being the one of the five with the most connection to the Order of Meledon, Jason smiled behind his visor as he realized what was happening. "Zordon's back..."

Before they could react, they felt themselves be turned into pure Morphing Energy. They shot through the city before landing directly on the spot where Rita had caused the earth to swallow their zords. The Morphing Energy hit the dirt and caused it to open up, just as Rita had done earlier that day. Suddenly materializing, the Power Rangers watched as their zords emerged from the lava they had been thrust down to.

"But... how!?" Black Ranger demanded.

Blue Ranger smiled and shrugged. "Zordon, that's how."

Before another word could be said, Red Ranger leapt up into his zord. "Log on!"

One by one, the rangers leapt up into their zords. They were ecstatic to once again be able to go toe to toe with the forces of evil.

"Mastodon, raring to go!"

"Triceratops, battle ready!"

"Pterodactyl's looking good!"

"Sabertooth Tiger, online!"

Green Ranger suddenly felt a message coming to him from Rita. "Go to the outskirts of town! The rangers are there with their zords! Destroy them before they get a chance to reform their Megazord!"

"Yes, my empress!" Green Ranger declared, commanding the Dragonzord with his Dragon Dagger.

In a matter of moments, Dragonzord made its way to the scene. Telling the others to stay back, Tyrannosaurus began to march forward to take on Dragonzord.

"No, Jason! We talked about this in our trainings! You can't just do things by yourself!" Black Ranger cried out.

Red Ranger nodded slowly. "This isn't a pride thing, guys. Now more than ever I can feel Zordon flowing through me... this is about escalating the battle, guys. When the time is right, we'll form the Megazord. But it'd be overkill. We gotta do this the right way. We are going to do this _Zordon's_ way."

Jumping over a small mound, Tyrannosaurus Zord landed in front of Dragonzord. Roaring, it charged forward to battle.

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Jase suddenly found himself completely safe, landing in a room he had never seen before. Looking around, he saw the other four members of his team standing around him, safe and sound.

"Most prodigious..." Billy-2 proclaimed, looking around.

"I am glad you approve..." A man stated with an odd sounding, otherworldly voice from the shadows.

"Like, who's there!?" Kim-2 asked in fear, looking around.

"My name is Cestro. I am a ranger from the planet Aquitar." The Blue Alien Ranger proclaimed, stepping forward. "This is a secondary base Zordon and Alpha have been working on called the Power Chamber. It is located directly beneath your Command Center."

"Rangers..." Zordon-2 stated from his new tube. "It is good to see you are all doing well."

"What is going on, Zordon!?" Zack-2 demanded. "One moment everything is fine, and now... now everything is ruined! Rita has control of the Command Center and she's cut us off from our powers! And now we are here with some weird, bubble headed alien!"

Cestro-2 nodded slowly. "My team on Aquitar has been tracing the signals and unless we can gain access to the Command Center again then, yes... you no longer have access to your Dino Coins."

"And to answer your question, Zachary-" Zordon-2 began.

"My name's _Zack_ , plain and simple." Zack-2 stated, folding his arms across his chest.

"-This is something I should have told to you all once I discovered it. We are in a new Timeline," Zordon-2 revealed.

"Say what?" Kim-2 asked in confusion.

"Something happened recently. An unknown event which caused a divergent Timeline. We are the product of this divergence. We are copies of the Timeline we have memories of. We were all born a few days ago, inheriting the memories and lives of our Temporal Twins from the Timeline we were created from. We all have new Spirits, and thus tend to do things differently than the beings from which we inherited our lives. From that point onward is the start of our new lives. For whatever reason... it seems as if this Timeline is darker than the one we remember. More chaotic. More evil. I am currently looking into the reason why that is happening. As a result of this divergence in the temporal flux, and this more evil Timeline, our enemies are more devious. They have upped their strategies, and thus we must up ours as well..." Zordon-2 stated, looking at his team.

"What the heck are you talking about!?" Zack-2 demanded.

"I'm totally lost..." Kim-2 stated, staring at her team while looking for support.

Trini-2 slowly nodded her head. "It all makes sense now... why Jason, Kim, and Zack have been acting how they have!"

"Affirmative. This darker Timeline seems to have attracted Spirits to our comrades that tend to do things... _darker_. I suppose it is either luck or fate that led to you and me not becoming like them, Trini," Billy-2 stated.

Jase sneered. "Don't talk about us like we aren't here, got it!? Now, I don't care about any of this sci-fi, mumbo jumbo you all are talking about. I don't care if I'm some carbon copy of some other Jason in another dimension. All I know is that I'm Jason Lee Scott, leader of the Power Rangers. I took on a mission to save the world, and I'm going to do that! Powers or not!"

"Jason is correct," Zordon-2 declared. "Regardless of our origins, in the here and now we are still here to do what is right. We are here to protect the Earth from the devastations Rita and her evil gang have in store for us."

"But how can we do that without our powers!?" Kim-2 demanded. "The Green Ranger even has a zord!"

"That is why I am here. My team from Aquitar is already on your planet. We are battling the Dragonzord as we speak," Cestro-2 stated. "Observe the monitor"

Turning to look at a wall mounted monitor, the five teens saw five humanoid zords scampering around the Dragonzord, nimbly rushing about to fight it. They seemed to be winning. Jase had a smile appear on his face as sparks erupted from the Dragonzord.

"So there are other Power Rangers?" Billy-2 asked.

"Correct. We Rangers of Aquitar are also known as the Alien Rangers. Our purpose in Zordon's plans for galactic protection is to not only protect Aquitar from our rival, Hydro Hog, but to also serve as Power Rangers whenever other alien systems are in need. We have come now to help you," Cestro-2 revealed.

"And from this Power Chamber we will run the rest of our business," Zordon-2 stated. "It is not yet done, for I was planning on this being a reserve station. I didn't think I would need it so soon, though..."

"What business!?" Jase demanded suddenly. "The five of us... we're useless now! We have these Alien Rangers here to protect Earth! Our team failed and you've already replaced us! Just... just let us go home, okay? It looks like everything is already taken care of."

"This is only temporary, Red Ranger," Cestro-2 stated. "Like I stated, we too have our own battles to deal with. Hydro Hog is a menace who has been torturing us for hundreds of Earth years. We won't be able to stay here for long..."

"Cestro? Go join your team please," Zordon-2 stated. "I will deal with the next part for the rangers. Your team needs you."

"Right," Cestro-2 stated. "It's morphing time! Blue Aquitar Ranger power!"

Morphing into the Blue Alien Ranger, Cestro-2 was suddenly encased in Morphing Energy and teleported out of the Power Chamber. As he vanished, the five teens looked up to their mentor.

Jase shrugged. "So, what have you left to share with us?"

Zordon-2 nodded slowly. "I know these events have been difficult. Losing your powers... your zords... our good friend, Alpha 5... but we must stick together, rangers. For yes, you are still Power Rangers."

"I don't want to hear any existential bologna about something like 'once a ranger, always a ranger'," Zack stated. "Because, really? We're not. It's done."

Zordon-2 shook his head. "No, Zack. Nothing like that. I had never planned for a moment like this, where I would lose access to all of my data in the Command Center. But, we are lucky we have friends who can help us. Cestro, the man from Aquitar you just met, helped me find a solution."

Suddenly, five coins appeared before the five teens. They were floating in the air before them. A familiar power emanated from the coins. They knew it was Morphing Energy.

"We are still downmorphing the information into these new Power Coins. Once they are done, though, you will be a new team of rangers. More powerful than you were before. With this darker Time we live in, a more aggressive form of power will be needed to save this planet and stop the United Alliance of Evil," Zordon-2 stated.

Jase stared at his coin intently. "How long until we can use this new power?"

"Not very much longer. I have schematics drawn up for new Dino Zords. They will use the same power that flowed through the Power Sword for your old Megazord. These new Dino Zords, as well as your new Morphing Coins, will use the power of Thunder. Soon, you will have the power necessary to fight this new threat the Green Ranger poses," Zordon-2 revealed.

"But until this new power is ready?" Billy-2 asked.

"You must be patient. It will only be a few moments longer..." Zordon-2 stated, Nathadian Magic flowing through him to finish the new Power Coins.

Jase looked at the Battle Borgs battling the Dragonzord. "I just hope the new powers come in before it's too late..."

. . .

Goldar-2 stared at the battle from the Viewing Globe in the Command Center. As the Blue Battle Borg suddenly appeared, he shook his head. The Dragonzord was being beaten badly. He could also tell that the Alien Rangers were not trying to destroy the Dragonzord, obviously hoping they could get it back to the side of good and use it for their own purposes. Sneering, Goldar-2 shook his head.

"What can we do!?" Goldar-2 demanded.

"I... I have a suggestion..." Finster-2 stated slowly.

"What is it!?" Goldar-2 barked at the last henchman left from Rita-2's reign over Earth.

"Well... looking at the Dragonzord and remembering the last time we saw it in battle... I remember the _other_ zord that was involved in that battle..."

Goldar-2 began to laugh. "Yes... yes! Can we summon it without Rita!?"

Finster-2 nodded, feeling good that his mind was being more appreciated than Rita-2 had. "With the tech in Zordon's Command Center, I should be able to summon the War Zord."

Goldar-2 chuckled as he turned back to look at the Viewing Globe. "Do it..."

 _Just like we put an eclipse on the Power Rangers in the other dimension, we will here, too... I can only assume the other me and his Green Ranger have destroyed the Power Rangers just like we did here. Time to destroy a_ _third_ _ranger team in only one day! Ah-hahaha!_

. . .

Delphine-2 staggered back as she felt the hit the Dragonzord threw with its tail at the White Battle Borg. She sneered as she clutched at her chest, it still throbbing from the massive attack.

"It's very difficult to keep this up while still trying to salvage the Dragonzord," The Red Alien Ranger-2 complained.

"Zordon wants us to take it in as undamaged as possible. We follow his orders." Aquitar White-2 stated, getting back into fighting position. "We have to- huh!?"

As the Blue Battle Borg was thrown off of Dragonzord, the ground began to shake. The Aquitar Rangers gasped as the ground opened up. Before they could look at each other for cues on what to do next, the mighty War Zord Cyclopsis pulled itself from underground. Being controlled remotely using tech from Zordon-2's Command Center, it stepped forward and stood menacingly next to Dragonzord.

Green Ranger-2 laughed heartily from atop a building, staring down at the Alien Rangers. "Hey, losers! Try fighting me and those two zords at the same time! Hi-yah!"

The Black Aquitar Ranger-2 suddenly felt the Green Ranger-2 land on top of him. As he fell, the Black Battle Borg also fell down. Before Black Aquitar Ranger-2 could get up, to cause the Black Battle Borg to get up as well, Cyclopsis stepped on the Black Battle Borg.

"If we attack Green Ranger, it'll be like attacking Cyclopsis!" Aquitar Red-2 declared. "Go!"

Green Ranger laughed as he began to play the Dragon Dagger. As they rushed to attack him, the Dragonzord spun around and hit the oncoming Battle Borgs with its tail. Sparks erupted from both the Borgs and and the Alien Rangers. As the Aquitians flew through the air, more sparks erupted from their suits as the Dragonzord blasted the Battle Borgs with missiles from its fingertips.

Kicking the Black Aquitar Ranger-2 away from him, Green Ranger-2 bowed triumphantly. "Now you'll have to keep track of me, that new white zord, and Dragonzord. Good luck!"

Summoning the Sword of Darkness, Richie-2 plunged it into the dirt. Dark Magic and Green Morphing Energy surged through the ground and erupted at the staggering Alien Rangers. As they and their Battle Borgs flew through the air, Dragonzord shot missiles at the Battle Borgs and hit them hard.

As they landed, Goldar-2 suddenly appeared next to Green Ranger-2. Laughing, he pointed his sword at Cyclopsis.

"Attack!"

As the Battle Borgs stood up slowly with their ranger counterparts, a row of rocket launchers appeared on Cyclopsis' chest. Several rounds of ammunition sprayed out, hitting the Battle Borgs. Simultaneously, the Dragonzord shot its missiles at the flying machines as well.

Seeing the Aquitar Rangers-2 flying through the air, Goldar-2 shot several flame bolts at them from his sword. Laughing, the Green Ranger-2 channeled his Morphing Energy and shot several orbs of power at the Aquitians as they fell to ground.

Moaning and groaning, the Aquitar Rangers looked up to see their Battle Borgs sparking in a heap in the middle of Angel Grove. They tried to stand, but couldn't find the strength to do so.

Folding his arms across his chest, Green Ranger-2 smiled. "Game... _over_..."

. . .

In the Power Chamber, Jase slammed his fist into the control panels. "They're going to be destroyed! Zordon!? We gotta get out there to put a beatdown on those punks!"

"It's almost done. Please have patience, Jason!" Zordon-2 implored.

Next to him, Saba-2 shook his head. "I don't know if I like this new Jason... I think now more than ever we need to consider a new leader..."

Ignoring Saba-2, Zordon-2 continued looking at his team. "Please, rangers... The Aquitians have been my friends for many, many years. It pains me to see them like this. I am doing all I can!"

Billy-2 then got an idea. "Wait... didn't you say that we are getting new zords!? Can't we pilot those zords now while we are waiting for the new morphers?"

Zordon-2 nodded slowly. "Yes... yes you can! Prepare yourselves for teleportation, rangers! We need Thunder Dinozord power! Now!"

. . .

Delphine-2 gasped as she was thrown through the air. Slamming into a wall, she demorphed and landed in a heap. Struggling to remain conscious, she saw the last of her team, Aurico, go unconscious as well. Tears fell from her eyes as she watched the Green Ranger-2 make his way toward her.

"I hear you're the leader of this team, alien," Richie-2 stated. "You're not welcome on this planet, weird-o. I'm gonna let you live, but before I let you go I'm gonna force you to watch as I gut each of your teammates."

Delphine-2 tried crying out as she watched Green Ranger-2 make his way to Cestria-2. She wanted to do something to stop him, but couldn't. Crying, she closed her eyes to not have to watch.

Suddenly, she heard pounding. Opening her eyes, she saw five figures approaching from outside of the city toward Dragonzord and Cyclopsis. She couldn't believe her eyes: it was the new Thunder Dino Zords.

Green Ranger-2 stared up in shock. "No... it can't be! I destroyed them!"

They were sleek, streamlined versions of the original Dinozords. From Mastodon to Tyrannosaurus, the new zords were infused with the power of Thunder and were ready to take on their biggest challenge yet: Cyclopsis.

"Alright rangers... initiate Megazord sequence!" Jase cried out.

Thunder surged through the five Zords. They slowly began to link at the right ports as their shapes were reconfigured to become the mighty new Megazord. As the zords joined together, the five unmorphed teens found themselves suddenly sitting in their new cockpit. Sitting together, Zack-2 looked at Billy-2 and cocked an eyebrow up.

"Dude, is that a bicycle helmet you're wearing!?" Zack-2 asked.

Billy-2 shrugged. "Statistically speaking, you're much safer wearing a helmet than not when it comes to head injuries."

"Thunder Dino Megazord... online!" Jase stated, ignoring the bantering of his team in the background. "Now let's do this..."

Looking at the Dragonzord, the Thunder Dino Megazord rushed forward and spear tackled it. Lifting the Dragonzord up, the Megazord threw it half way across the city.

"Jase... we gotta be careful," Trini-2 said. "We don't want to cause any more casualties..."

"We do what we gotta do..." Jase said, furrowing his brow.

"But-" Billy-2 began.

"Shut up! I'm team leader. Now before the Dragonzord comes back, let's take care of that white zord Goldar is controlling." Jase stated, modifying the coordinates of the Megazord to fight Cyclopsis.

Green Ranger-2 clenched his fist in anger, leaving Cestria-2. He pulled out the Dragon Dagger and began playing it, trying to get Dragonzord back in the battle. As he did so, Goldar-2 roared in fury.

"Destroy them, Cyclopsis! Now!" He roared.

"The only thing that's going to be destroyed is your little toy, Goldar," Jase stated with determination.

"Let's cream him!" Kim-2 shouted, punching in some commands. "And I think I found just the right weapon for it..."

Cyclopsis shot several rockets at the Thunder Dino Megazord. They bounced off of the Megazord's enhanced armor, not even leaving a scratch.

"Morphenomenal!" Trini-2 declared.

"You ready, Kim?" Jase asked.

Kim-2 nodded. "Weapons activated!"

Goldar-2 watched as a giant bow suddenly appeared in the Megazord's hands. Growling in anger he watched as the Megazord grabbed the string and nimbly tugged it back. As it did so, thunder erupted in the sky overhead. Several bolts of lightning flew down from the sky and hit the bow. The energy gathered together and caused a massive, laser-like arrow to appear on the bow. As it did, the Power Teens knew what they had to say.

"Release!" The tech in the Megazord caused them to cry out in unison.

"No!" Goldar-2 screamed.

The Thunder Arrow flew through the air. Goldar-2 watched in shock as it sailed straight into Cyclopsis' chest. Morphing Energy crackled through the War Zord before it fell to its knees, exploding on impact.

"Richie! Get Dragonzord out of here! We have to go now!" Goldar-2 declared as he vanished to the Command Center.

Sneering behind his helmet, Green Ranger-2 played a song on the Dragon Dagger to get the Dragonzord to return to its home in the ocean. He then looked up at the towering Megazord.

"I don't know how you guys survived my attack, but mark my words Power Rangers... I _will_ end each and every one of you! You haven't seen the last of me!"

And like that, the Green Ranger-2 vanished in a cloud of Green Morphing Energy. Billy-2 let out a sigh of relief, taking off his helmet and placing it on the dashboard. He then typed in some commands into his dashboard to get a hold of the Power Chamber.

"Zordon? This is Billy. Teleport the Aquitians to the Power Chamber. We won the battle and we're ready to report back at the base."

. . .

"Congratulations on a job well done, rangers," Zordon-2 stated. "Even without your powers, you are a force to be reckoned with.

"And I have great news for you all... the new Power Coins are finished. They are more fragile at the moment than your other coins. We have not had the opportunity to get them more stable. They are made from the old Power Coins the Aquitar Rangers had before they upgraded to their current Animal Power Coins. They needed a new power source, and Cestro and I combined them with a project I had planned for the future I had called the Thunder Zords. Those zords were meant to create a weapon I had called the Thunder Megazord, but those zords are now irrevocably connected to your new Power Coins, and as long as these new Power Coins are operational the Thunder Zords will not be able to be used. You will still derive your powers from them, these Thunder Animals, even though you will not use them as your zords.

"But the upgraded Dino Zords are even more powerful than the Thunder Zords, so you won't feel their absence, rangers. Everything about your new powers are better, stronger than before. You are a new breed of Power Ranger, created out of the necessity this crisis caused. And we will need this new power. Rita has upped her game. Goldar and the Green Ranger are looking to be the greatest foes we have ever faced. Now more than ever we need to be united as a team. Rangers... I believe in you. Together, we will save the universe."

Jase looked to his team as his Power Coin appeared in his and his team's hands. "Guys, we may have our differences, but now's the time to put those aside. We are a new, more powerful team!"

"Superb!" Billy-2 proclaimed.

"Totally wicked," Stated Zack-2 with a smile.

"This is going to be amazing." Trini-2 stated as she popped out her Sabertooth Tiger coin from her morpher and replaced it with her new Power Coin.

"Totally morphenomenal," Kim-2 agreed.

"Alright, guys... it's morphin' time!"

Then, going in the same order the teens had grown accustomed to, they one by one proclaimed their new morphing calls:

"Lion!"

"Firebird!"

"Unicorn! Wait, wh-"

"Griffin!"

"Red Dragon!"

Then, in unison, they proclaimed: "Mighty Thunder Power Rangers!"

*Author's Note - The suits are of the Dairangers

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

The rangers watched on as Jason piloted the Tyrannosaurus against Tommy's Dragonzord. After some impressive maneuvering from both fighters, Jason saw it fit to get the team together and summon forth their Megazord.

The combined power of the five rangers seemed to be gaining an advantage over Dragonzord. After a few slashes from the Power Sword (enough to damage it, but not destroy it), Dragonzord had fallen. The Power Rangers then directed their Megazord to pick the Dragonzord up before tossing it to the side.

As it slammed down, Red Ranger clenched his fist and looked to the Dragonzord, knowing Tommy had boarded it before leaving Angel Grove. It pained him to know how the Green Ranger was not in control. He could only imagine the horror of hurting others while being possessed by another creature. It was something he hoped with all his heart he would never have to endure.

"Give it up, Tommy!" Red Ranger implored.

Suddenly, a voice erupted from the Dragonzord saying, "No way!"

In the Command Center, Saba turned to Zordon. "Did you hear that?"

Zordon nodded. "I'm starting a scan. Whoever said that was _not_ Tommy. There's someone else in there."

"But the scans are reading that there is only one person in the Dragonzord," Saba stated.

"I'm aware of that. But perhaps there's someone else _in_ Tommy," Zordon replied.

Saba furrowed his brow. "So... you believe he's possessed?"

"I think so..." Zordon answered, focusing on his Nathadian Scan.

Then, Red Ranger jumped down from the Megazord. He knew the Green Ranger wouldn't be able to resist the one on one challenge. The team watched as the two excellent fighters fought hard. They were impressed with Green Ranger's several abilities he was displaying at that moment. At one point he was able to deflect attacks from Red Ranger's Blade Blaster by using Music Magic that protruded from his Dragon Dagger.

 _How am I gonna beat this guy!/_ Red Ranger thought.

 _And now I will destroy the Power Rangers!_ Thought Green Ranger.

 _And Zordon will finally be gone for good..._ The Dark Voice thought as well.

Then, with a proclamation of victory, Green Ranger did just as Richie-2 knew to do and stabbed the ground with the Sword of Darkness. Red Ranger was thrown off his feet and onto his back.

As he staggered up, he saw Green Ranger rushing forward. He could see his each and every footstep. The Sword of Darkness in one hand with the Dragon Dagger in the other, ready to annihilate him. Then, suddenly, Jason felt as if Time had stopped. Green Ranger seemed to be moving in slow motion. Jason's entire body felt electric. Unbeknownst to him, the calm he felt at that moment coupled with his intensive training led him to tap almost fully into the Nathadian Magic imparted unto his team by Zordon. By sheer instinct, Red Ranger charged all of the Nathadian Magic her could into his hand. He then touched the blade of his Power Sword and, after coating the entire blade with the Red Magic, tossed the glowing red sword straight at Green Ranger. The vast amount of Red Magic, pure and raw, hit Green Ranger hit much force. He had never felt such pain in his life. The Nathadian Magic shook his very core, causing him to drop both of his weapons.

Suddenly coming out of the trance-like state the Order of Meledon had put him in, Red Ranger pointed his Blade Blaster at the Sword of Darkness. Shooting even more Nathadian Magic from his Blade Blaster, the stream of Magic flowed from him and engulfed the Sword of Magic. Within moments, the sword Lothor had brought with him from the Nathadian Universe had been destroyed by Magic from its home dimension.

The ranger team gathered down below, celebrating the end of the reign of the evil Green Ranger. They then watched as Jason approached Tommy. Just as they had suspected, Tommy seemed extremely repentant for his actions.

"What you did was under Rita's influence. You _own_ the power now," Jason stated, hoping to break through Tommy's guilt. "Fight by our side and we can defeat Rita."

"After everything that's happened?" Tommy asked incredulously.

"Tommy, we _need_ you," Jason stated, thinking of the possibilities of having the power of the Green Ranger on his team, as well as Tommy's fighting ability. "It's where you _belong_."

Unknowingly, those last words were what struck a chord within Tommy. Even though he had loving parents, he knew that he was adopted. He had always wondered in the back of his mind why his parents had given him up, and if that family was even where he belonged. At his old school he never felt like he belonged. Kids were either intimidated by him or thought his obsession with karate was unhealthy and made fun of him for it. Moving from San Angeles was even worse, making him have to start over from scratch. He feared he would once again not fit in anywhere. With those words from Jason, though, he began to think he had actually found a group of people who would accept him and help him feel like he was a part of them.

Extending his hand, wanting to seal the deal, Jason looked Tommy in the eyes. "Will you join us, Tommy?"

Tommy smiled and shook Jason's hand. For the first time in a very, very long time... he actually did feel as if he belonged. As he did, he could feel the last traces of the Dark Voice leave him.

You haven't seen the last of _me_ , Tommy Oliver! The Dark Voice yelled into his mind before vanishing.

As that happened, Saba watched on as Zordon smiled with tears in his eyes. He spoke to Alpha 5 about how the Green Ranger was finally going to be fighting for good, just as was prophesied.

Turning to Saba, Zrin asked, "What prophecy?"

Saba smiled. "After Rita tricked us and used the Green Power Coin to trap us in this Time Warp, Zordon swore he would one day get that coin back. In memory of Burai. He finally got his wish."

On the battlefield, Jason reached for his morpher. "All right then... It's morphin' time!"

"Dragonzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

Zordon, continuing his surge of power that he was sending to the rangers, caused the Dragon Dagger to float to Tommy. He said with much happiness that it was possible to combine the Dragonzord with the other zords to create a new zord: the Dragonzord in Battle Mode. As that occurred, Zordon looked on happily while filling the Dragonzord with Red Nathadian Magic to purge it of the Red Rage Rita had put in it earlier. The Dragonzord's eyes glowed with Nathadain Magic during the entire formation of the new megazord.

As the team began to make their way back to the Command Center, Zordon turned back to September. "Now please explain to me what is happening."

September nodded, the Time Energy slowly leaving his eyes. "There was a temporal flux."

"Yes, I felt it," Zordon stated.

"I found out what caused it: it was Goldar. He used some sort of Time Device and accidentally created a clone Timeline," September revealed.

"Oh, no..." Zordon said, shocked. "Is there anything we can do!?"

"I tried, Zordon. I actually almost succeeded. If you looked at the rangers while they were morphing just now, Billy and Trini's clothes changed for a bit. That was the clothing they were wearing in the other Timeline. But it didn't take... The Timelines have become too different, and they won't accept each other anymore. That's why the other three, now four, rangers stayed the same. They are not compatible with their Temporal Twins," September stated.

"How will this affect us?" Zordon asked.

"The Guardian and I are looking into it. We will return with information on that subject when we found out. For now, though, Zrin and I must return. I fear our prolonged presence here helping you return to your power may lead the Supreme to finding us and the Hall of Legends," September stated as he beckoned Zrin to come to him.

As the Time Portal opened, Zordon nodded. "I pray that is not the case. Thank you for everything, September. And may the Power protect you."

"The same to you, Zordon." September said as he walked into the Time Portal.

Before he did the same, Zrin turned and smiled. "I'm glad to have you be okay, Dad."

"I'm glad to _be_ okay," Zordon said with a smile.

As Zrin vanished, Saba tapped Zordon on the shoulder. "The rangers are here. And please don't let me forget to tell you what happened to the other Zordon."

"What!? Something happened to him!?" Zordon asked about Zordon-A.

"Yes, but there's no time for that now. Go." Saba said, pointing to the hologram in the sky.

Zordon then looked up. He saw the eager Tommy Oliver, standing with the other teens. The only thing he could think about, outside of how he needed to teach Tommy about the rules of the Order of Meledon, was Burai. It was hard for Zordon to even see Tommy, really. All he could think of was his old friend Burai. How close they had gotten to each other over their two thousand year campaign against Dark Specter. How he had failed Burai by not helping him when he needed him most, but how he was also able to get Burai's coin back from Rita.

 _I promise you, Burai, that I will save you from Deviot. Just as how I promised that I would get your Power Coin back, I_ _will_ _retrieve you from the clutches of evil._

. . .

"So it seems as if Global Strike wasn't needed after all," Dr. Harlan stated as General McKnight sat down beside him in his lab.

McKnight scoffed. "Hardly. This just opened up my senses to what I have been missing out on! Rita had a ranger, Zordon has rangers... Who knows what other rangers there are!? I won't be caught off-guard again! My orders still stand, Dr. Harlan. Finish those morphers and get Global Strike in action immediately!"

. . .

In his throne room, Dark Specter smiled (or what would be a smile at least for him) as Lord Zedd entered his chambers. He stood up from his throne and walked to Lord Zedd. As he did, Lord Zedd bowed before Dark Specter.

"You summoned me, O evil one?" Lord Zedd asked.

Dark Specter chuckled at Lord Zedd's formal speech. "Yes I did. I wanted to inform you that your time in this sector of the galaxy is almost over."

"But Dark Specter... I'm not even halfway through with this solar system!" Lord Zedd stated in shock, fearing he was being demoted.

"I know. I am letting you know now so you can speed up your work. I am getting ready to relocate you," Dark Specter stated.

"To where, my master?" Lord Zedd asked, lowering his head again.

"To Earth. Rita Repulsa has disappointed me once again. She used her trump card, the Green Ranger, and instead of destroying Zordon allowed for him to escape her clutches _with the sixth Power Coin_!" Dark Specter declared, growing angrier as he spoke.

Red Energy began to emanate from Zedd as Dark Specter relayed the information. "That could have been the biggest blow to the Resistance we could have landed! How could she muck that up so badly!?"

"She's obviously still rusty from her ten thousand year slumber. I'm sure I can find something useful for her to do for the Alliance, but Earth does not suit her," Dark Specter stated. "Maybe she can help Divatox in her campaign against Inquiris. Heaven knows Dimitria is giving her a run for her money ever since her daddy dearest was tossed into the Oblivion."

"How long do I have then?" Lord Zedd asked.

"I understand these things take time, what with transitions between generals and armies and whatnot. Be as fast as you can, but don't take _too_ long or you will _upset_ me..." Dark Specter stated as a ball of Dark Magic appeared in his massive palm.

"Yes, Dark Specter..." Lord Zedd stated as he stood up and dismissed himself.

As he left, though, Lord Zedd suddenly felt something. Something he hadn't felt in a very, very long time...

So, do you really think that you will be strong enough to defeat Zordon? I mean... it's been a _very_ long time and he's _still_ causing you guys problems. You'd have better luck taking down Count Dregon than beating Zordon at this point, and you and I both know that's saying _a lot_.

 _What!?_ The Dark Lord gasped in his mind. _No... that's impossible! I locked you away forever!_

Eh... forever is a bit of an exaggeration, isn't old friend? Commander Zedd asked mockingly of the Quasi-Demon who had possessed him twelve thousand years earlier.

 _Nooooo!_ The Dark Lord screamed as he realized that, somehow, Commander Zedd had crawled back to existence in his mind.

Meanwhile, Dark Specter opened up a line of communication to Chynn. "My loyal messenger... I have a request for you."

"Yes, Dark Specter?" The flaming head asked as he appeared before the ruler of the United Alliance of Evil.

"Give this message to the Machine Empire of King Aradon: 'I, Dark Specter, am requesting your services on Earth. I am readying a transfer of power from Rita Repulsa to Lord Zedd, but during that time I need someone to supplement Rita's efforts on Earth before Lord Zedd is able to take his place against Zordon of Eltar. Whatever assignment you are on ends now. You are to head to Earth _immediately_.'"

"Yes, Dark Specter," Chynn answered before he vanished.

 _Excellent._ Dark Specter thought to himself. _Soon Aradon's Machine Empire will be crawling all over Earth. They won't be enough to completely destroy Earth, but it will be more than what Zordon can handle without decimating Earth's population and forces significantly. And then it will be easy pickings for Lord Zedd to track Zordon down and finish him off_ _for good_ _. This is the end of Earth, Zordon of Eltar! I will finally beat you!_


	14. Chapter 14: The Trouble with Shellshock

**Chapter Fourteen: The Trouble with Shellshock**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2**_

"You're a fool for having allowed the Green Ranger back into Zordon's clutches!" Goldar-2 roared at Goldar while they stood in the Dark Dimension.

"It wasn't my fault!" Goldar proclaimed, having given his Temporal Twin the bad news. "Rita sent Green Ranger down to summon Dragonzord. She then got hotheaded and thought she could wipe them all out! Before I knew to be able to go down and stop them, it was _too late_."

Goldar-2 clenched his fist. He wanted to end his Temporal Twin badly. Destroy him and make sure he never had to see his own self give out excuses like that again. Relaxing, remembering that he would need his clone in his future plans, Goldar-2 regained his composure. Turning around slowly, he nodded.

"We must continue on as planned, brother," Goldar-2 stated, sneaking in the word "brother" to invoke feelings of kinship. "We still have the stronghold you, yourself, lead here in my Timeline. I owe you for taking out my Rita and giving me, er... _us_ leadership over Earth in the United Alliance. With your Power Rangers having six new rangers, we need to sit back a bit and see what our new status quo will be."

"And as for the new powers _your_ Power Rangers have, I think we have an advantage," Goldar said.

"Oh? What would that be?" Goldar-2 asked.

"They are fresh with them. If we strike hard _now_ , we may be able to take them by surprise and finish them off before they learn how to fully use their powers!" Goldar proclaimed.

Goldar-2 nodded. "Yes... I see the wisdom in this! I will go down with Richie at once and destroy them!"

As Goldar-2 vanished in flames, Goldar stood and pondered. _But... where did the rangers here get new powers? From another Zordon-like person...?_

Not knowing they hadn't succeeded in eliminating Zordon-2, Goldar continued to ponder that while Goldar-2 called upon his Green Ranger. Without much ado, the two of them appeared in downtown Angel Grove. Laughing, Goldar-2 looked out and saw the destruction the Dragonzord and Cyclopsis had done on the city before the arrival of the Thunder Dino Zords.

"The rangers have new zords, but we have cut them off from the Morphing Grid," Goldar-2 proclaimed. "Being the goodie-goods they are, we can get them to appear here if we start to attack."

Richie-2 nodded slowly. "Good idea, boss. They're sure to come running. And with what we've seen of their training, if I don't summon my zord they won't summon theirs. And if that happens..."

"Without their Power Morphers, we'll crush them for _good_!" Goldar-2 roared victoriously as he shot several balls of flame from his blade into an adjacent building.

Richie-2 laughed as he watched people scurrying out of the building in terror. Brandishing the Sword of Darkness, he decided to not yet morph for fear of coaxing the Power Teens into summoning their zords. Even though he hated them, he respected the way they fought and was deciding that their code to not "escalate the battle" was a good one that we may adopt himself.

From deep in the Power Chamber (under their former Command Center, unbeknownst to Goldar's team), the five Power Teens watched the going ons of Richie-2 and Goldar-2 via their monitor. The Monster Alarm finished blaring as Billy-2 turned it off.

"We gotta get in there and surprise 'em!" Zack-2 said, flashing a grin as he hit one fist into his other hand's palm. "They'll never see it coming! They just said they don't know about our powers!"

Jase shook his head. "No... Let's let 'em think we still don't have powers. When we get them to think they have us on the ropes, we catch them off guard and _then_ lay the hurt on them."

"That is a wise decision, Jason," Zordon-2 stated from his tube.

Kim-2 sneered. "No duh, Big Head."

Furrowing his brow, Billy-2 stepped up closer to the tube and whispered. "Do you perhaps venture that you yourself, Zordon, are not as... _honed_ in the art of mentorship as the Zordon from whom you were given your life?"

"What do you mean?" Zordon-2 asked, confused while the other four teens watched the mayhem on the screen.

"Well... you didn't seem to note that, following Jase's plan, that we would allow more destruction to continue. For the first bit of the fight, while we play the figurative possum, the city and its people will still be at risk. Is this a wise move?" Billy-2 asked with much concern.

Zordon-2 sighed as he glanced to Saba-2. He sincerely had not considered how he was different than the Zordon from Timeline B1. His good friend shook his head and shrugged. Looking back to Billy-2, he smiled.

"I honestly do not know, which may be a sign in and of itself that what you say is true... Billy? Please follow Jason into this battle. If things do not go as planned and there are significant damages due to this, a team re-evaluation will be done," Zordon-2 told his loyal ranger.

Uneasy, but confident in his mentor, Billy-2 gave a sheepish smile and turned around. Making his way back to the team, he could feel his palms wet with sweat. He was very nervous for how the next round would happen. He just hoped Jase knew what he was doing.

"Been a rough couple of days..." Trini-2 mentioned to Billy-2 as he approached the group. "I hope we're up for it."

Billy-2 smiled. "Yeah. Me, too..."

Turning around, Jase stared at his team. "Alright, guys. Back to action!"

. . .

Goldar-2 laughed as he stabbed an elderly gentleman in the leg. As the man fell, crying out in pain and bleeding from his thigh, he noticed the Power Teens arrive out of the corner of his eye.

"Let him go, Goldar!" Jase demanded.

Goldar-2 laughed and bowed. Taking a few steps back, he motioned at the old man. He looked to the teens and laughed again.

"I won't lay another finger on him."

"But _I will_." Richie-2 said, sneaking out from the shadows nearby and stabbing the man through the chest.

"No!" Trini-2 gasped.

Kim-2 clenched her fists. "Why are you doing this!? You're a _Human_!"

Richie-2 laughed. "What I am doing is setting up my new empire here. Once we're done with Earth, it will be _mine_ while Goldar goes out to conquer the _rest_ of this galaxy."

"You're psychotic," Jase stated with a sneer.

Richie-2 considered that before shaking his head. "I dunno... I think I'm more of your garden variety sociopath. But I'm no psychologist. You guys might know better."

"What are you going to do, Powerless Rangers?" Goldar-2 taunted, breaking the conversation as Richie-2 took his sword out of the man. " _Fight_ us?"

"If we have to!" Zack-2 declared confidently.

"Then come at me!" Richie-2 said with a smirk.

Grabbing a pipe, Jase lunged forward. Richie-2 ran ahead to meet him, all while Goldar-2 rushed the other four. Narrowly missing a decapitation from Goldar-2, Billy-2 fell to his back as Trini-2 kicked Goldar-2 from behind. Staggering ever so slightly, Zack-2 did a nice break dance move to hit Goldar-2's ankles to further his loss of balance. Before he could react, Kim-2 performed an aerial flip, connecting both of her feet with his face.

Slamming into the outside of a building, Goldar-2 laughed. He reached up with his hand and touched it to his mouth, seeing there had been blood drawn from the hit. That caused him to laugh as Jase continued to circle around Richie-2, trying to hit him without getting hit himself.

"You fools!" Goldar-2 proclaimed. "You tried to take me down and with all that work managed only _this_!? A small cut in my mouth! You have no chance!"

"We will beat you, Goldar!" Kimberly-2 declared confidently.

"Enough!" Goldar-2 roared as he shot fireballs from his sword.

As the four teens flew back from the explosions happening around them, Jase swung his pipe. Rolling to the side, Richie-2 swung the Sword of Darkness and struck the pipe. He smiled deviously as the pipe was cut asunder. Simultaneous with the cutting of the pipe, he threw out a leg and kicked Jase in the chest.

Billy-2 stood up to see Jase staggering back, nearly tripping over Zack-2's body. "You okay, Jase!?"

"Do I _look_ okay, dweeb?" Jase asked, irritated. "No small talk!"

Richie-2 sneered as he saw Jase pull out his Morpher. "What are you gonna do with that broken thing? _Throw_ it at me?"

"It's morphin' time!" Jase yelled out as his answer.

Sneering and getting ready for what he was thinking may happen (because why _wouldn't_ something like this happen to foil his plans?), Richie-2 concentrated on his coin and began his morph as well.

"Dragonzord!"

"Lion!"

"Firebird!"

"Unicorn!"

"Griffin!"

"Red Dragon!"

Goldar-2 spat as he saw the new team standing before** him. "No! How!?"

**Author's Note: Confused? Read the last couple of chapters to see how the rangers of Timeline B2 became the Mighty Thunder Power Rangers, based off the Dairanger!**

"Dragon Rod!" Red Dragon yelled out as his bladed lance appeared in his hands.

"Nunchakus!" Blue Unicorn called out.

"Lion Staff!" The new Green Ranger roared, summoning his new weapon.

"Power Whip!" Griffin Ranger stated, calling forth a cat o' nine tails (a nine tailed whip).

"Spear!" Pink Firebird yelled. "I miss my bow..."

Causing his Dragon Dagger to appear, Green Ranger-2 sneered behind his visor. "We've already beaten two teams, what makes you think a third will be so hard."

"Because we have the power of _Thunder,_ " Red Dragon proclaimed. "Attack!"

Goldar-2 and Green Ranger-2 flew at their enemies. As Goldar-2 was going to strike at Pink Firebird, the Power Whip grabbed him around the wrist and stopped him from moving his sword down. At the same time, Blue Unicorn leapt at him and began using his chucks on his torso. All the while Green Lion swung his staff to hit the Green Dragon Ranger-2. Spinning to face him, he began playing his Dragon Dagger to cause Music Magic to create a barrier around him. As Green Lion's staff hit Green Dragon-2, he bounced off and was sent back flying. Before Green Dragon-2 could revel in that, though, Red Dragon slashed him from behind with his Dragon Rod.

"What!? Impossible!" Green Ranger-2 roared.

Red Dragon Ranger laughed. "I guess since we are both using the Dragon Spirit, your barrier is no good against me."

Goldar-2 kicked Blue Unicorn away from him. Flexing his bicep, he ripped his arm down and caused Yellow Griffin to fly off her feet and into the air, slamming into a building. Pink Firebird managed to hit him a few times, but before she could land another blow Goldar-2 blocked it with his forearm while he slashed at her multiple times.

While going for what he hoped was a deathblow, Green Lion lunged forward and hit Goldar-2, sending him flying back. As Goldar-2 was thrown a few feet away, Green Lion fell with the momentum and landed on his stomach.

All the while, Red Dragon and Green Dragon continued trying to hit each other. The Sword of Darkness connected with the bladed end of the Dragon Rod while its lower half was used by the Red Ranger to block the Dragon Dagger. Dragon Spirit sparked so highly between the two of them them it was visible to them. Pushing off each other, both rangers did a backflip. Red Ranger landed in the midst of his Thunder Power Rangers while Green Ranger-2 landed next to Goldar-2.

"Stalemate... for _now,_ " Green Ranger-2 stated as he vanished in a cloud of Green Morphing Energy.

"Thank you for the refreshing insight into your powers. Next time will be the _last_ time," Goldar-2 proclaimed as he teleported back to the Command Center in a flash of fire.

"Not too bad..." Red Dragon stated. "We got a lot of training to do in the morning. I expect to see you all in front of the Youth Center promptly at five. We're going on a five mile run before drills."

"What?" Green Lion asked in shock.

"That's an order..." Red Dragon said as he teleported out.

. . .

 _ **Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Zordon-2 pursed his lips. "I fear Billy is right. Jason, or _this_ Jason, is not cut out to lead the team."

"So Billy, then?" Saba-2 asked excitedly.

"Perhaps..." Zordon-2 stated as he began to focus onto Billy-2's communicator. "Billy? This is Zordon. I need to speak with you urgently. Come to the Power Chamber."

In a matter of moments, Billy-2 was standing in the unfinished Power Chamber. "Yes, Zordon?"

"I have considered your recent encounter with the Green Ranger and Goldar. Jason's tactics caused for an extra life to be lost. We cannot have that," Zordon-2 stated. "But I see a more pressing matter at hand."

"Oh?" Billy-2 and Saba-2 both uttered simultaneously.

"Even with the power of Thunder you five were not able to defeat a team of two," Zordon-2 said. "I believe we need more power."

"How so? I mean... what can we do for more power?" Billy-2 asked in confusion.

"Normally this is something that Alpha would've done... Billy? Go to the control panels and navigate until you find something called the ATTITUDE algorithm. Begin running it. Look through the files of those you will see," Zordon-2 ordered.

"I... I don't understand," Billy-2 said as he began.

"Just as Alpha 5 did for you and your friends, you are to find us a new Power Ranger."

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Rita sat in her room, focusing her Magic. There were many facets to the power she gained from Madame Woe she knew not about, for she had not been trained by Witches or Warlocks. She knew, though, that with hard work and practice she could unlock powers she could had never dreamed of.

"Hello, Rita," A metallic voice stated suddenly.

"What!?" Rita bellowed, leaping up. "Who is there!?"

Jumping up from her bed, she turned to find the king of one of the UAE's Machine Empires, King Aradon, standing before her. Confused, she stared at him in Rage.

"What are you doing in my private chamber!?" Rita yelled out in fury.

"He was called here by Dark Specter," Chynn said, his flaming head suddenly appearing in the room.

"My apologies!" Rita gasped, suddenly dropping to a knee in reverence of Dark Specter's official messenger. "What... To what do I owe the occasion?"

King Aradon laughed. "Dark Specter wishes for me to assist you with Earth."

"But I-" Rita began.

"Hush, hush, my darling..." Aradon stated, cutting her off. "I am not here to take your scheme against Zordon away from you. You continue your efforts against Angel Grove. In the meantime, my machines and I will cripple everything else."

"Makes sense..." Rita said, lifting herself up. "I mean, Zordon and his plans are like fighting nine planetary systems _simultaneously_... right?"

"Of course," Aradon said as if he were trying to appease a small child.

"And this comes from Dark Specter himself, right?" Rita asked Chynn, suspicious of the origin of all of this.

"From his own mouth," Chynn replied, vanishing as he did.

"Okay, then." Aradon said while pushing a button on his forearm. "I guess I'll see you around the block, _neighbor_."

As he pushed the button, teleporting onto his main fortress quickly approaching Earth's orbit, Rita yelled in anger. She was greatly bothered by Dark Specter's lack of faith in her being able to take on Earth by herself. She was worried (rightfully) that it was the first step toward her being reassigned from Earth and losing her ability to exact revenge upon Zordon.

Walking over to her balcony, consumed with Rage, she looked into her telescope. She could see the Power Rangers playing basketball down below. Their happiness and gleeful behavior fed her Rage with even more fuel.

"They sit there, happy and playing while I'm up here... losing everything! It's not fair!" Rita roared.

She then stopped and sighed. Shaking her head, she pointed her staff onto the balcony and caused for her rocking chair to appear. The migraine she had (caused by the separate machinations of both Lord Zedd and the Ghost of Darkness [aggravating the strain her Blue Magic gave her]) was getting worse due to her anxiety over the recent news from the UAE. Sitting down softly, she began to fall asleep. As she did, images of blue began to flood her mind. She could see Queen Bansheera and Eye Guy looking at her and many other children from afar. She then saw herself working on equipment on Onyx with Burai, laughing as he flirted with her. She saw him standing on the ship flying off of Liaria as he begged for her to go back with him. She saw as Burai was murdered by Nasty Knight and Goldar, and the blue hue to her dream slowly turned red.

All the while, as she slept, Squatt and Baboo snuck onto the balcony.

"Oh, goody! She's asleep!" Squatt proclaimed as Baboo silenced him.

Continuing her slumber, Squatt and Baboo snuck into Finster's lab. Baboo revealed to Squatt his plan as they made their way to the Monster-Matic. He had sculpted his own Monster, Shellshock, to combat the Power Rangers as a surprise for Rita. It was to be a turtle-like Monster with the ability to send particles out of itself to freeze the Power Rangers and cause them to be a non-factor for Rita in her quest to get to Zordon's research. Giving life to the Monster, the two began preparations to send him down to _stop_ the rangers permanently.

. . .

Finally parking in orbit around Earth, King Aradon looked down upon it and scoffed. "This cannot honestly be the rock Rita is having such a problem conquesting! I have heard _legendary tales_ about her work as a mole in the Alliance of old and how she helped Master Vile bring about the Final Siege. _This_ is quite disappointing."

Stepping forward, Prince Gaskett folded his arms. "I don't know, Aradon... I was on Earth once before with my father and from what I remember, they are a tough bunch."

"I was there _too_ , you dolt!" Aradon said with a sneer. "That was when your father foolishly used the Sword of Damocles before it led to him getting himself destroyed!"

"Yes father," Princess Archerina said, giggling as she nodded. "You were marvelous in that battle!"

"Except for how we lost to Gosei and those other Wizards..." Gasket muttered under his breath.

"What was that, my dear brother-in-law?" A voice asked from the shadows. "Is that a negative tone I hear?"

Sneering, Gasket looked up and scoffed. "No, Nigorl, it's _not_."

King Aradon's son, Prince Nigorl, stepped out of the shadows. With much bravado he walked over to his brother-in-law and placed a hand on his shoulder. For a good moment they stared at each other, the hatred they felt for one another permeating the air.

"My mistake, then," Nigorl stated slowly.

"Oh, brother!" Archerina cried out with excitement. "Isn't this _grand_? Another planet to conquer!"

"Yes..." Nigorl stated. "Father? What is our first goal here?"

Aradon nodded. "My son, we are going to go down onto the massive land mass on Earth they call the Antarctic. There we will begin testing of some of our machines to see if our research is correct about Earth's gravity and how our machines will move on the planet's surface. Once those drills are done, we will promptly begin our attack on one of the larger cities of the planet."

"Brilliant," Nigorl stated cordially. "When do I go down to start these procedures."

"Actually, Daddy said _I_ could be the one to do it!" Archerina said, jumping up and down with energy. "Isn't that _grand_!?"

"Yes... _grand_..." Nigorl stated with a hint of a sneer in his voice.

"Is that a negative tone I hear?" Gasket asked arrogantly.

"Hmph." Nigorl grunted, storming out of the room.

 _I am the rightful heir to father's throne. Not that bag of bolts made by_ _Mondo_ _. Father will soon see that... And I will see to it that I make that abundantly clear to him!_

. . .

"Zordon of Eltar?" McKnight's voice was heard saying over the audio system of the Command Center.

Furrowing his brow, Zordon looked from the tube at the Viewing Globe. On it was McKnight's face, sitting and looking quite solemn. Zordon sneered. He had been having a rough day and that was not how he wanted to end it. The Rangers had just defeated the Monster Shellshock through a complicated battle involving Trini needing to retrieve a mystical flower that could amplify her Tiger Spirit. What had made things worse was that it was the first mission for Tommy Oliver. He had been told earlier by Zordon in a private meeting that, due to the principal of not escalating battles, that he would only join in on the team's battles once Jason found it appropriate, leaving it up to Jason to feel (as a part of his own training in feeling the promptings from the Order of Meledon) when Tommy's arrival was needed. What had ended up happening was that Tommy had not had his communicator on his person and had entered the battle when it was almost too late. Things had not looked good for the rangers, and their near defeat left Zordon in a sour mood.

"What is it? You do not have my permission to speak to me," Zordon stated coldly.

"We have reports of a new menace," McKnight said as suddenly his image was replaced by an image of Aradon's Machine Empire and their new base in the Antarctic. "I am aware that you were busy with one of Rita's Monsters and judging by the fact your team did not get deployed that you are unaware of this development."

Zordon stared at the image in shock. "That's the Machine Empire of King Aradon. Yes, I must have missed this due to the timing of events. I wouldn't be surprised to know that Aradon sent that base down at the same time as Shellshock, so that I wouldn't hear dual alarms in my base. That was clever of him..."

"Zordon... Angel Grove cannot afford to have the Power Rangers split between two villain factions. It was a close call today against that giant mutant ninja turtle. If this Aradon had tried to attack during this attack... your rangers would've failed," McKnight stated.

Zordon sighed. He knew that wasn't completely true. What would have likely happened, due to the lack of time, would have been Zordon trying to call upon his contacts with the Magic Realm or anyone from the Pai Zhua. But that in and of itself was dangerous, because that would leave the Magic Realm open to an attack or leave the Pai Zhua without the needed people they required to keep Dai Shi imprisoned. And, like he had decided earlier, he couldn't leave the Time Warp for fear of letting Dark Specter know the Meledon Ranger was still active, leading to the UAE coming down to attack Earth in its entirety. Let alone gambling Dulcea's Spirit as it was in a figurative Limbo in the Nothingness.

"Do you have any suggestions, McKnight?" Zordon asked. "I can assure you SHIELD, let alone the armies of this planet, could do anything to Aradon."

"Through hundreds of hours of research, we have finally honed our own power morphers to tap into the Morphing Grid," McKnight revealed.

"You cannot trust Rex!" Zordon blurted out. "I don't know how he knows what he knows, but terms like 'Morphing Grid' are supposed to be unfamiliar to you Humans. He cannot be trusted, and I cannot allow you to have morphing technology!"

"Calm down and listen!" McKnight barked. "I do not question Rex's loyalty to my country. All he does, he does for the good of Mankind. As you can see here, my morphers are what will save us all from this predicament. You and your team continue protecting Angel Grove. My team will handle Aradon."

"You cannot possibly think you are capable of doing this!" Zordon scoffed. "You are a species ill equipped to handle a foe like Aradon!"

"Then why did you pick people from my species to battle Rita!?" McKnight retorted.

"I... I have access to-"

"The ATTITDUE algorithm?" McKnight asked with an arrogant smile.

"But... but _how_!?" Zordon gasped.

Saba, meanwhile, broke his silence. "We have to get the Hall of Legends after Rex immediately. This has gone too far."

"Never mind that, Zordon. I use my alogrithms to recruit my rangers, just as you did. They _will_ be up to par. Give us lowly Humans at least a _chance_ to show you what we can do!" McKnight demanded.

Zordon sighed. He remembered his impulsive, younger self. How determined he had been to prove he could be the head of Research and Development. Then how he had gone against the consent of the remnants of the United Alliance to form Team Victory with Tria, Dulcea, Yoral, and Trinity. He remembered how all of those decisions by someone who, technically, wasn't qualified had actually created good in the universe. How, even though he was being manipulated by The Guardian and Zordon-A (who he did not agree with when it came to morals), he had done good things. Even though Rex's morals were questionable at best, Zordon could sense (both through his own intuition and what the Order of Meledon was prompting to him) that McKnight's intent was truly set on saving the world.

"You have your shot, McKnight. I will be watching. I will end your operation once things go badly. This is your chance, then," Zordon stated.

"What!?" Saba cried out.

"You will not be disappointed," McKnight answered as he ended the transmission.

"Why did you do that!?" Saba gasped. "It's a suicide mission!"

"So was it when I dove at the Orb of Doom back on Onyx," Zordon stated. "So was it when Tria, Dulcea, and I went alone to Liaria to try and save the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. One led me to meeting The Guardian. The other led to me getting the power of the Meledon Ranger. Sometimes we need to take a step into the darkness if we are to succeed. Let us give them a chance. I feel this to be the right thing. At least with McKnight... we need to trust him. Give him a chance."

Saba sighed. He knew it was impossible to argue with Zordon whenever he got his "impressions" from the Order of Meledon. He threw his paws up and sat in the sand.

"Okay, then. Let's see where this goes."

. . .

McKnight sat at a table with a pile of papers next to him. His countenance brightened as Dr. Angela Fairweather walked in. She smiled and greeted him cordially as he invited her to sit.

"Angela, I... You know about the project we have been working on, right? The morphers?" McKnight asked.

"Yes, of course. Though I still don't agree with Alphabet Soup," Angela said, smile fading. "Really, I... I don't think it is right. I know I have said it time and time again, but these are _children_."

"And if you say another word, it will be _treason,_ " McKnight stated, smiling not leaving his face. "Now, about project Global Strike, we are ready to go online."

"What!?" Angela asked in shock.

"The young duo of Mora and Rose found the final piece," McKnight stated. "Now, Dr. Fairweather... you know there are many roles on this team that need to be filled. I want to offer you an official role."

Fairweather's stomach was in knots. She had been wanting badly to be an adviser on Global Strike. She knew that if she were to be able to have any sway for change within Alphabet Soup that she would need to have a role of leadership on some team. She knew how much Global Strike meant for Alphabet Soup, and she had been doing her best to help it get up and running so that she would be selected to help run it. From there, she hoped to gain more and more influence until she could put a permanent end to the use of children in the government experiments.

"I accept!" She blurted out.

McKnight chuckled. "Wait until you hear! But great! Follow me."

It felt as if she were walking on air. She could hear her high heels clinking with each step on the cold, metallic floor beneath her as she followed General McKnight from the lab to a side room. She watched as he used his high clearance badge to get her into a room she had never been in before. As the door slid open, she saw a small group of people she knew gathered around a table.

"Angela..." McKnight stated. "Here is the advising team. We have the handler for Global Strike who will be this young agent here, Michael Corbett. Technical support for the team will be with Dr. Harlan. Captain William Mitchell will lead the team as a sort of 'mentor', while his young daughter Dana will be his assistant."

Angela smiled. "This is fantastic! It will be an honor to work with you all as... actually, what is my role, sir?"

McKnight beamed as he turned to her. "You, my fair lady, are our first Power Ranger!"

The room began to spin. Angela felt as if she had been hit by a truck. Never in a million years did the thought of that phrase ever being uttered to her crossed her mind. Regaining her composure, she shook her head and stared at McKnight.

" _What_ are you talking about!?" She demanded.

McKnight smiled. "Well, your physical aptitude tests every month fall within the range of the parameters and your name popped up on Harlan's computer."

"I am more than thrilled to have you as one of my rangers, Angela. I have a deep respect for you and your work," Captain Mitchell said with a smile.

"This... this is insane!" Angela gasped. "I... I can't!"

"You are the best candidate for the job," Harlan confirmed.

"What about Clark!? Not only is he just as smart as me, but the man is muscle bound!" Angela argued.

"He scored well, but you are ranked higher than him according to my algorithm," Harlan stated. "Your personality is better suited than his to lead the team."

" _Lead_!? Oh, this just keeps getting better..." Angela said as she dropped onto a swivel chair.

"Dr. Fairweather... We do not have time to get the rest of your team," McKnight stated. "Right now, as we speak, an alien threat is in Antarctica doing what appear to be drills. We have readings that one of the robots on the continent is actually sending out radio waves to gather intel on one of our compounds in Japan. We need you to go down there incognito and take it out."

"What!? _Alone_!?" Fairweather asked.

"Please remember you are speaking with a superior officer..." Harlan said as a pseudo aside as he began typing into his desktop.

McKnight smiled. "I understand you are taken off-guard, but this is your duty to this country and I _am_ giving you an order. You are going alone because there seems to be a massive field protecting the area. Even if we get ships in, their aerial rockets will rip through our jets."

"We can get you in using the Morphing Grid itself as a teleporting conduit," Captain Mitchell stated. "And I will be in your helmet the whole time, guiding you. I trust you, and I need you to trust that I will be there for you."

Dana, Bill's daughter, listened to the conversation quietly. She was intrigued by everything going on in the room, but couldn't believe Angela's reactions. She wondered why a person wouldn't leap at the opportunity at becoming a superhero. She then wondered if it was due to her being barely a teenager and if there was some maturing that would happen in her life that would lead her to understanding Angela Fairweather better. She knew not, and decided not to dwell on the subject, choosing to continue to focus on the matter at hand.

Realizing she had no way of refusing the offer save she desired a court marshaling, she stood up and looked at General McKnight in the eyes. "Sir, how do I start?"

Handing her a ring, he stated, "Place this ring on any of your fingers. All you need to do is say your Ranger designation while pushing the button on the ring and you will instantly morph."

"And what is my designation, sir?" Angela asked, sounding confident though she _felt_ overwhelmed.

"Striker America. Now morph and Harlan will be able to teleport you to your destination," McKnight stated.

Nodding her head while slipping the ring onto her finger, she breathed out slowly. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her nerves. Never in her life, not even when she had applied for her PhD program at the age of seventeen, had she been so nervous. Swallowing hard, she pushed the button on the ring.

"Striker America!" Angela proclaimed.

The group in the room watched in awe as Pink Morphing Energy enveloped Angela. In a flash, she had become the first Human made Power Ranger. She looked down at her suit***, shocked. She then looked to the group and struck a pose.

***Author's Note: Her suit is that of Battle Fever J's Miss America - ShinySephiroth***

"What do you think!?" She asked, suddenly excited and full of adrenaline.

"That's a lot of leg showing," Mike Corbett said with a snicker.

"The helmet looks kinda scary," Dana found herself blurting out.

"Dana!" Captain Mitchell grunted, ushering his daughter to keep quiet.

"Huh?" She asked, turning to look into a mirror. "Ah! I look like a freaky doll! What's going on here!?"

Harlan looked around in confusion. "What? I thought it was a good design..."

"Never mind that. Harlan? Teleport her out now," McKnight ordered.

"Sir, yes sir."

Pursing her lips, Angela turned and folded her arms across her chest. Suddenly, the only thing she could see around her was a bright pink light. She could feel herself floating, or falling... she couldn't tell which. She had been turned into pure Morphing Energy and was being teleported to Antarctica. Then, in an instant, she was flung into a mound of ice.

"Ouch... watch the landing!" Striker America protested, getting up and dusting ice off of her.

"Sorry..." She heard Harlan say through her helmet communicator.

"Wow... this spandex is skin tight yet I don't feel any cold!" Striker America proclaimed in wonder.

"It's not span- never mind. I'm just glad you like it," Harlan stated.

"Okay, Fairweather. You're going to want to head fifty feet to your right and then make an immediate left. As you turn that corner around the glacial deposit, you should see what looks like a giant, metal armadillo," Bill Mitchell said.

At that, Striker America paused. "Wait, huh?"

"Just go. As you turn the corner, strike immediately," Mitchell continued.

"With what?" Striker America asked as she started forward again.

"Your morpher will send information to your mind. You will know once you need to." Captain Mitchell stated before turning off his microphone and looking to Harlan. "That _will_ happen, right?"

Harlan nodded. "You can trust me. I learned from the best at Bio-Lab. It will work fine."

Pursing his lip, Mike Corbett watched on the screen. "I hope so..."

Breathing in deeply, Striker America rushed to the spot. She turned the corner and as she did, she found herself getting the image in her mind of throwing knives. Focusing, Pink Morphing Energy erupted from her hands as she jumped into the air and threw the energy at her target. They traveled through the air to the giant armadillo before turning into knives. Landing, she saw them land on the machine, stabbing it.

"Presence detected. Damaged. Cyborg Armadillo entering combat mode." The machine stated, turning around and outstretching its hands.

Striker America got into a fighting stance, feeling her heart beating at what felt like a million miles per hour. "C'mon! I can take you on!"

Instead of reaching out to attack her, the machine began to dig extremely fast through the ice and burrow itself underground. Striker America began to look around, confused.

"Huh? Where did he-?"

"Angela! Look out below you!" Captain Mitchell yelled.

It was too late. Cyborg Armadillo leapt up from under the frozen surface and delivered a swift uppercut. Flying through the air, Striker America landed in a heap. Doing a quick kick, she jumped from off her back and onto her feet.

"Whoa! That hit was _powerful_." She muttered, feeling the jaw of her helmet.

"C'mon... c'mon..." Dana found herself whispering, grabbing at the armrests of her swivel chair.

"Target not terminated. Strike." Cyborg Armadillo said as it tucked its body into a massive ball.

"Run!" Mitchell cried out as he saw it roll toward her, picking up speed.

"Uh-oh..." She gasped, turning around and sprinting ahead of the ball. "It's gaining on me!"

"His speed is increasing exponentially!" Harlan gasped.

"Attack it!" Mike yelled.

"She can't! It's going too fast!" Harlan yelled back. "If she even touches it, it'll be as if it sucks her in and she'll get steamrolled!"

"Get out of its trajectory!" Mitchell screamed.

"I'm _trying_!" Striker America answered. "He's just so _mobile and agile_! I can't shake him! I think he has me on some sort of tracking system. Oh... wait! I got it! When I say _now_ , teleport me _behind_ him."

"You got it!" Harlan replied.

Clenching her teeth, Striker America began sprinting harder than she ever hard. As she did, she saw her target destination: off the edge of a glacier. Closing her eyes, she kept running until she couldn't feel any ground beneath her.

"Now! Now!" She cried out.

She opened her eyes and found herself still falling. In a panic, she turned around and saw the balled up Cyborg free-falling just behind her. Her plan had been simple: make the thing gain so much momentum that it couldn't stop before falling over the edge with her. Only problem was... she was supposed to have teleported already.

"What's going on!?" She demanded as she flew closer and closer to the icy depth of the glacier.

"Got it!" Harlan gasped as he succeeded in teleporting her out.

As Cyborg Armadillo slammed into the base of the glacier below, crushing itself upon impact, Striker America found herself landing gently on the ground. Harlan had slowed down her descent so that she had not reached terminal velocity after the teleportation.

"What happened!?" Striker America demanded.

"A bug, but I fixed it." Harlan said sheepishly.

"I could have been crushed!" Striker America screamed.

"I fixed it! I fixed it! I'm sorry!"

"You're _sorry_!? You-agh!" Striker American yelled as she felt a laser blast hit her in the gut.

As she flew onto her back, she looked up. Pulling herself onto her feet, she found herself a few yards away from Archerina. Standing her her bow and arrow ready to shoot again, Archerina laughed.

"And who are you? Miss Hussy?" Archerina asked, her voice caked with hidden anger and resentment.

"Whoever you and your people are... leave my planet now or suffer the consequences!" Striker America warned, getting into a fighting stance.

"Wrong answer!" Archerina said, letting a laser arrow loose.

Doing a handless cartwheel, Striker America dodged the arrow easily. Landing on her feet, she threw several Morphing Knives at Archerina. The villainess used her bow as a deflecting object and swatted all but one away. The one she missed landed deep into the servos in her shoulder.

"Agh!" She cried out, dropping her bow. "Machinemen! Attack!"

Suddenly, several black clad robots appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. Getting into a fighting stance, Striker America readied herself as they lunged at her. Throwing a kick to hit the first one, she found herself rather abruptly being teleported out of the area and back to Alphabet Soup.

Landing back in the conference room, she looked around in confusion. "Huh!? What happened?"

McKnight stepped forward. "You accomplished your mission. The machine getting our intel from our Yokohama branch was dealt with. There was no reason for you to go toe to toe with them once you had gotten outnumbered."

"What's to stop them from doing that again? They will start like that next time knowing I ran!" Angela said quickly as she demorphed.

McKnight smiled. "I'm glad to hear you are excited for 'next time'. And as for that inevitable next mission, yes you are correct. That's why we need to up our numbers."

Smiling himself, Captain Mitchell stood up. "I am very proud of what you accomplished! You proved that you are the right pick for the leader of this team! Your next mission is a little less... _dangerous_."

Putting on a face of determination, she nodded. "Well, what is it then?"

Mike then stood up and smiled. "You and I are going out to recruit the rest of your team! First stop: Kenya!"

. . .

Sitting down at his computer, McKnight used the program Harlan had "borrowed" from SHIELD and contacted Zordon. He sat, listening to the sound of his upgraded modem dialing up before connecting to the Eltarian Wizard. Before long, his monitor was showing him the view of the Command Center from the point of view of the Viewing Globe.

"Well done, McKnight," Zordon was heard saying.

"Thank you, Zordon," McKnight answered. "We are going out now to recruit the rest of the team."

"Very well, then. But be warned: I have worked too hard to protect this planet and the artifacts upon it. I am bringing you in, _loosely_ , to be a part of my operation. You will receive visits from time to time from some of my associates to help you. Please stay vigilant. And _please_... don't trust Rex more than you are."

As Zordon finished speaking, McKnight nodded. "Stay strong, Zordon. Until we speak again."

"May the Power protect you," Zordon was heard saying as McKnight ended the transmission.

Sitting alone at his desk, he was lost in thought. Was Zordon right about Rex? He didn't know, but so far Rex had done good things for the country. For the time being, he was going to ride things out. The only thing that mattered at that point in time was to make sure Global Strike put an end to King Aradon.

. . .

Pouting as Professor Cog tended to her damaged shoulder, Archerina vented to her husband, father, and brother about what had just occurred on Earth. She was beside herself that one of the lowly Humans had the audacity at not only approaching her the way Angela had, but also at _attacking_ her.

"Oh, the next time I see that Power Ranger... I will rip her limb from _limb_!" Archerina promised.

"I'm sure you will, sweetheart." Aradon stated, nodding his head.

"The Humans think they can get away with this!? They have another thing coming!" Gasket proclaimed, brandishing his sword.

Nigorl waved his hand about at that, looking at Earth from the window of the room. "The most interesting thing to me is how Earth seems to have another Power Ranger on it, unassociated with the team we saw Zordon handling in his fight against Rita. Quite interesting, really. From where do you think she hails?"

"What does it matter!?" Gasket asked in anger. "She will rue the _day_ she crossed paths with _my_ lovely _wife_."

"Yes... but wouldn't it be wise for us to find out why she was there? She had the flag of one of this planet's countries on her uniform. And she didn't target the main base. She attacked our Cyborg who was collecting data from that military facility of that large island they call Japan," Nigorl said. "I... I postulate that this Ranger is _Earth-made_. Sent there to defend their own information from us."

"Interesting development..." King Aradon said, turning around to leave the room. "Thank you for that insight, my son. You are a good and wise general."

 _Wise enough to be_ _king_ _of this empire..._ Nigorl thought as his father left the room before shooting a quick, knowing glance to Professor Cog.

Slowly, silently, Aradon marched down the busy corridors of his space station. Suddenly turning left, he placed his finger into a slot on a door. After reading it, the door opened up to him as Aradon was the only one allowed into the room. Walking up to a massive, wall sized monitor King Aradon input a code. At that, the face of Lothor appeared on the screen.

"Welcome to my direct line. President of Lothor Industries speaking. Oh, King Aradon! How great to see you again. How is that United Alliance going on over there?"

Aradon scoffed. "Dark Specter still has me relegated to being back up to that _incessant_ Witch, Rita Repulsa."

"Well, now that's a shame. Ever consider joining a... _different_ league?" Lothor asked facetiously, since he didn't want anyone knowing of his secret allegiance to Emperor Mavro.

"What, the Armada? Ha! Mavro is a joke compared to Dark Specter. I'd be better off joining that lowlife Scorpius in that slow running, daughter driven borefest he has going on wherever he is." Aradon said, sighing and putting his feet on the table beside him as he began to balance on his chair.

"Well... how can I help you?" Lothor asked, changing the subject quickly. "According to my records your accounts are all caught up with their payments, my dear friend."

"I actually need to make a new order," Aradon stated. "I have come up with a new snag in my current operation and I would like to add some _firepower_ to my arsenal."

Lothor smiled. "Ooo, I like the sound of _that_. What are we looking for, then?"

"An improved metal alloy," Aradon stated.

"Are you sure?" Lothor asked. "The one I'm supplying you with is already quite durable... and expensive."

"I want to make a good impression on Dark Specter. He has always seen me as lesser than Mondo. I want to eradicate Earth's forces as soon as possible. Then and only then will I prove that I am the better Machine King." Aradon stated, slowly taking his feet off the table and setting his chair upright. "That I am the only _true_ Machine King."

Lothor smiled as he finished tallying up the cost for the metal upgrade. Sending an invoice to his sales staff to type up for him, he looked to Aradon and nodded.

"Oh, why of _course_ you'll show them who's the best," Lothor stated. "I have my utmost faith in you! And my staff will contact your accounting department and they'll handle the money thing. Don't worry. We have this all taken care of. Just relax and watch as your empire becomes _invincible_."

Aradon nodded. "Thank you, Lothor. You've always been a good friend."

"As have you, King Aradon. Goodbye, now," Lothor stated as the transmission ended.

Standing up slowly from his desk in his office, Lothor laughed. _Now to make sure Dark Specter doesn't gain any more power. If he takes Earth, there is no way Xelleb and Mavro will_ _ever_ _be able to take down the United Alliance..._

Typing into his computer, Lothor called up his trusted general, Zurgane. "Are you there!?"

"Yes, my lord," Zurgane replied quickly.

"Find out how to contact Earth," Lothor stated. "I have some upgraded weapons to give them to counter whatever the Machine Empire will throw at them..."

"Yes sir!" Zurgane stated before signing off.

 _Soon the Armada will control the universe. And from there? Then I will be so embedded into their infrastructure that they won't even notice when I_ _strike_ _. I will destroy everything Xelleb has been working for and get my revenge on her Nathadian blood. Then I will take their empire and use it to finally get back my baby... the Greatest Treasure in the Universe!_


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Itsy Bitsy Spider

**Chapter Fifteen: Itsy Bitsy Spider**

 ** _1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2_**

Goldar-2 smiled as he saw Finster-2 busy at work. One of the Monsters he had commissioned to him before "he" had accidentally created Timeline B2 was a being he had named the "Ranger Hunter". Of all of the Monsters Finster-2 had been working on, that one was having the most promise. And it seemed as if it was nearly ready to go.

"It is done!" Finster-2 stated as he pushed a button on the console of the Command Center that had once belonged to the Power Rangers.

Goldar-2 laughed wickedly as surges of Morphing Energy were pumped into the metal being lying on a bed in the Command Center. Finster-2 then pushed another button and caused White Energy, the energy corresponding with Life from the Emotional Spectrum, to rush into the being. As Ranger Hunter-2's arms began to twitch with life, Goldar-2 thrust his arms up into the air in triumph. Finster-2, however, had a slightly less excited reaction.

 _My mind tells me that I must do this, because this is what I have always done, but... I can't help but feel_ _guilt_ _for my many transgressions... Why am I doing this!?_ Finster-2 thought forlornly. _Why do I constantly fall prey to my mind and not my_ _heart_ _!?_

"The Ranger Hunter is online!" Goldar-2 proclaimed. "Send him to Earth. My Green Ranger and I will meet him there and finally destroy the Power Rangers!"

. . .

Walking downtown, Zack-2 froze as he saw the Ranger Hunter-2 rushing toward him. Curling his lip in anger he rolled into a small enclave between a dumpster and a building. He shook his head and sighed.

"Man! Why do these things always happen to _me_?" Zack-2 complained. "Whatever. It's morphin' time! Lion!"

The Green Lion Ranger leapt out from behind the dumpster and planted a kick on Ranger Hunter-2's chest. As he did, though, the Monster grabbed Zack-2's thigh and tossed him away. Slamming into the exterior wall of a building, he fell in a heap.

"What!?"

"Meet my newest creation!" Goldar-2 said, walking onto the scene with Richie-2. "The Ranger Hunter! Created with your Command Center's own power as its source, he is programmed to learn your every move and create a counter! You can't beat him!"

"Uh... Guys!?" Lion Ranger said in a panic. "I could really use some help here! There's a Monster attack downtown! Why haven't you come to help yet!?"

. . .

Billy-2 was yet hunched over the console, typing away like mad. As he did, Zordon-2 watched on with Saba-2 by his side.

"Billy? What is wrong?" Zordon-2 asked. "You told me that you were going to look into the algorithm but it has been a few days and you have not finished the ATTITUDE search yet."

Billy-2 sighed. "You see... Well, I was cross referencing everything with your database and I discovered something... _odd_. It looks like the government has this algorithm, too. I found it quite by accident when I was trying to do a test run of the ATTITUDE program. I just got absorbed in trying to find out what this thing is..."

"It is something called Alphabet Soup," Zordon-2 revealed.

"Are you sure he is ready for this!?" Saba-2 inquired nervously.

Nodding to his friend, Zordon-2 continued. "There is a man known as General Rex who has been conducting some sort of controlled environment here in Angel Grove. Due to Rita I have been unable to stop Rex, focusing my time on her. It seems as though he is trying to gather special people into his ranks for some sort of national security team."

"This seems highly unethical..." Billy-2 stated with concern.

"Yes, it does. What also makes me nervous is his acquisition of the ATTITUDE algorithm. There is no possible way a Human could have found it, let alone have known its name. Unfortunately our new Timeline is cut off from the Hall of Legends. I have no way of looking further into it," Zordon-2 said with regret.

"That's another thing, Zordon..." Billy-2 said. "It seems from my research and hacking into government surveillance that the Green Ranger has taken control of Alphabet Soup."

Zordon-2 felt his blood began to race. _Why hasn't Nick Fury told me about this...!?_

"If the Green Ranger has access to this Alphabet Soup, Zordon, then-" Billy-2 began.

That's when Zack-2's distress call came in. Billy-2 looked at the Viewing Monitor in shock. He turned to Zordon-2 with a puzzled look on his face, asking how it was possible that the Monster Alarm had not gone off.

"It is because the Power Chamber is not as powerful as the old Command Center. The Command Center had access to the Morphing Grid while the Power Chamber runs primarily off of power generated by your city, Angel Grove. The ATTITUDE algorithm is draining the Power Chamber and hampering its ability to process information," Zordon-2 told his helper.

Guilt twisted Billy-2's stomach. "Oh, dear... If I hadn't gotten sucked into this extracurricular course Zack wouldn't be battling alone... I am so sorry, Zordon..."

"We must learn from our mistakes and move on," Zordon-2 stated. "Go and help the team. Is the ATTITUDE algorithm still functioning?"

"Yes, Zordon."

"Then I will finish what you have started," Zordon-2 stated. "Now go, my good boy! It's morphin' time!"

"Unicorn!" Billy-2 roared as he pulled out his morpher and morphed, simultaneously teleporting to the scene.

As the Blue Ranger vanished, Zordon-2 focused on the Red Spectrum's highest tier of the Universal Magic Grid: the tier of Nathadian Magic. The Order of Meledon flowed through him, channeling him into the Power Chamber. He opened his eyes, Red Magic shooting out from it. It was just as how it had been when Zordon had picked the original five teens mere months earlier. Saba-2 watched on as Zordon-2 began shake.

"Are you okay!?" Saba-2 gasped.

Zordon-2 nodded as the Red Magic dissipated from his eyes, turning back to their natural colors. "Yes, my friend. And I have found our new Power Ranger... I will have our Billy send him in as soon as they finish dealing with this threat. We will have a team of six, Saba. And I think he will be the most powerful ranger yet."

"Why do you think so?" Saba-2 inquired.

"Saba? I believe it is time to finally finish your avatar," Zordon-2 said with a smile. "I believe the Order of Meledon is prompting me to do so."

"Well, this is the first time I've actually been _happy_ with something the Order of Meledon has vomited out of you," Saba-2 said with a smirk.

"As soon as Billy returns, we will be making the new White Power Ranger." Zordon-2 declared, staring up at his hologram to see how the battle was unfolding.

. . .

The Red Dragon Ranger thrust a punch at the Green Dragon Ranger, having it blocked by his forearm. The Green and Pink Rangers tag-teamed Ranger Hunter-2 while the Griffin and Unicorn Rangers battled against Goldar-2.

Yellow Ranger flew back, sparks erupting from her chest as Goldar-2's sword slashed her. Laughing triumphantly, he was hit from behind by the Blue Ranger's weapon. He flew forward, growling in anger as he reached for his back in pain. The injury he had from his battle against Team Victory and their Megazord thousands of years earlier still afflicted him, and the direct spine shot drove him into a blind rage.

"Argh!" Goldar-2 shouted as he shot several fireballs at Billy-2.

Dodging the attack, Blue Ranger knelt down next to Yellow Ranger. "Trini!? Are you okay!?"

"I'll be fine... ouch!" Yellow Ranger said as Blue Ranger helped her up. "Goldar's sword is more powerful than before..."

"I'm glad you noticed!" Green Ranger declared as his foot connected with Jase's helmet, sending him sprawling onto his back. "I upgraded his sword to interact negatively with your connection to the Morphing Grid!"

"Using your new connections at Alphabet Soup, right!?" Blue Ranger accused, clenching his fist.

Richie-2 furrowed his brow. "How did you...!? Never mind! It's now time to finish you guys! Ranger Hunter!? Blast them!"

"On your order!" Ranger Hunter-2 cried out.

Goldar-2 laughed as a massive ion blast erupted from his Monster. It sailed forward, tearing the street up as it approached the Power Rangers.

"We're done for!" Pink Ranger gasped.

Suddenly, they found themselves in the Power Chamber. Red Ranger pulled himself up, looking up to Zordon-2.

"Thank you, Zordon. I thought we were toast." Jason-2 said as he pulled off his helmet.

"Goldar has truly upped his game. I had to take you out or you would all have been destroyed. That ion blast was powerful enough to destroy your morphers," Zordon-2 declared.

"But we have to go back and stop him!" Kim-2 cried out.

"I don't know what Rita has done to change her game, but that doesn't seem to be on the docket any longer," Zordon-2 stated. "Observe the monitor. The Monster has stopped his attack. That blast seems to have depowered him, and Goldar and the Green Ranger are no longer attacking the city."

The Power Rangers watched on as the three teleported away. Turning back to Zordon-2, Jase shrugged.

"Why are they not attacking? I'm confused," Jase stated.

"Because Goldar seems only focused now on destroying you all. With his Monster depowered, I believe he will wait to attack again when he is recharged," Zordon-2 explained. "I think Rita no longer cares for anything but to see you rangers fall. Then she will continue her crusade to the Abandoned Warehouse District and my artifacts."

"What do we do, then?" Trini-2 asked with concern.

"Go about your lives as normal. Billy will stay here with me as we try to gain access back into the Command Center and take it back from Rita." Zordon-2 stated, thinking along with the rest of his team that Rita-2 was yet alive.

Jase pursed his lips. "Fine. Let me know when it is time to go back and fight. Let's go guys."

Kim-2, Jase, and Zack-2 teleported out as Trini-2 walked toward Billy-2. "Would you like me to stay and help?"

Before Billy-2 could answer in the affirmative, Zordon-2 cut him off. "That will not be necessary, Trini. I will summon you when the time comes."

Smiling and giving Billy-2 a hug, Trini-2 pushed the buttons on her yellow communicator and teleported out. As she did, Billy-2 sighed.

"Why couldn't she stay?"

"Because we will be gone for quite some time without contact to the outside world," Zordon-2 stated as the Power Chamber began to glow a bright white.

"What's happening!?" Billy-2 cried out.

"I am filling the Power Chamber with White Morphing Energy," Zordon-2 explained. "We will be completely cut off from the rest of world as we dive into our next endeavor."

"Gaining access back to the Command Center?" Billy-2 asked, confused.

"No," Zordon-2 stated from the tube. "As we create the newest power source for our ranger team. The power of the White Tiger!"

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Angela Fairweather stood next to Captain Bill Mitchell, staring down at the table at the three folders lying there. She looked to Mitchell and shrugged. They were on a jet flying to Kenya to retrieve the first of the candidates for the Global Strike Power Ranger team.

"Of all of the candidates, I have narrowed it down to these three. They each come from different countries and should help us with the... um... relations Alphabet Soup wants us to have internationally..." Fairweather stated, sadness showing through with her final comments.

Mitchell found himself biting his tongue. He knew Angela did not agree with Alphabet Soup. What made things difficult for Bill was that he, too, did not agree with Alphabet Soup. For the past three years he had been working with billionaire Bruce Wayne in trying to slowly delete children from the mainframe of Alphabet Soup. It had all started when he had deleted his own daughter, Dana, from the Potential list of McKnight had. By happenstance, or perhaps fate, Mitchell had tried deleting Wayne's granddaughter, Kelsey Winslow, from the registry and had caught the attention of Bruce Wayne who had also been looking into the organization. One thing led to another and Bill had become Bruce's mole within the organization. So, for as much as Bill wanted to let Angela know about his disdain for the cruel experiments being done on children he could not, for fear that his allegiance to the former Batman would be made known.

"That is good work you have done," Bill stated. "I'm sure McKnight will be pleased once he hears about what you have done. So after we pick up Mr. Thomas Arusei from Kenya, I suggest we head over to Russia to pick up the next candidate."

He bent over and picked up the folder. A tall and muscular blonde man was pictured inside. He was a wrestling prodigy from the ranks of Russia's best. He was also a man secretly recruited by SHIELD to be a double agent for the United States, placed deep in Russia to help the US learn of Russia's secrets and keep tabs on them lest another World War were to happen. The man's name was Aleksei Evdokimov.

The next candidate was from France. An interpol officer who General Rex apparently had in his back pocket, the man went by the name of Marius Travert. He was renown for his deductive reasoning skills and thought of as a prodigy in his homeland.

The last candidate unknown to Bill Mitchell was Isamu Takenaka. He was surprised to find that this young man was not in any government affiliations in any countries. He was a young man who was very intelligent and held a full ride scholarship to a notable college in Japan for his high GPA in school. He was on track to becoming a dentist (as was noted in his file), but nothing more. His inclusion in the roster of possible agents was curious to Mitchell, and he was certain that was the reason he was included on the team by Angela: he didn't fit the bill of a person who was corrupted by Alphabet Soup. Thinking on it, Mitchell was certain that he would had made the same choice.

The man they were currently heading to pick up with Mike Corbett was a man from Kenya named Thomas Arusei. His file was sealed by General McKnight and nothing about him was known to anyone outside of Rex and McKnight. Outside of Angela Fairweather herself, he was the only member of the team handpicked by McKnight to be a ranger. That left both Angela and Mitchell wary of him and what his presence on the team may do.

"Change of plans!" Mike yelled, rushing to the area Angela and Bill were meeting.

"What is it?" Bill asked, concerned about Mike's sudden outburst.

"There is a Monster attacking right now in Japan. Another Cyborg sent by the Machine Empire. Our initial scans are showing that it is a _brute_ ," Mike revealed. "This machine has a definite upgrade in armor in comparison to the Armadillo you fought in the Antarctic, Angela."

Pursing her lips, Fairweather turned to Mitchell. "Get Arusei without me. I'm heading over to Japan right now to take on this Monster."

"Sounds good. We will get Arusei prepped and over to you as soon as we can," Mitchell stated. "Good luck."

As she went to morph, Angela stopped. "Wait... this could be a good thing! We are heading to Japan anyway. Give me Takenaka's morpher. I will head over there and recruit him to help me!"

Bill furrowed his brow. "We were planning on kindly inviting all the participants in, Angela. Especially with this kid not being a government agent, I think a sudden 'here is your morpher now let's go fight' may be a bit out of the question... We don't want to scare the kid."

"Scare him? His country is under attack by a machine that comes out of his mangas. I am sure this will not be the strangest thing he sees today," Angela stated. "I may as well do this. It is my call as leader of my own team, right?"

"But we are here to guide you in the right direction," Mike rebuttaled. "I don't agree with this."

Mitchell sighed. He looked from Mike to Angela and then down to the folders. Closing his eyes, he shook his head and turned around. Grabbing the morpher, he turned and placed it into Angela's hand.

"Don't waste too much time," He stated. "Lives are at risk there. If he puts up too much resistance just head to fight the Monster without him."

"Right." Angela stated, slipping the morpher to a different finger before pushing the button on her own morpher. "Striker America!"

As she morphed, Mitchell turned and pushed a button on the laptop on the adjacent table. As he did, he saw the program for teleportation pop up. He grabbed Isamu Takenaka's file and looked at it for a moment. Using the information, he pulled up a satellite feed and used it to track Isamu's image using facial recognition. As fate would have it, he was in the city of Fukuoka where the attack was occurring. Bill thought about that for a moment, about how odd it was that the Monster would be right there where one of his future rangers was, but brushed it off due to the pressing urgency of the situation. He locked onto Mr. Takenaka and pushed the button, teleporting Striker America to the area.

. . .

Isamu slid under a table as the Spider Cyborg slashed at him. He had been in a café doing homework when suddenly the massive metaled beast charged in. He was shocked to see some of his classmates instantly perish before his very eyes as the thing trampled over them, seemingly heading straight at _him_. He had been using every ounce of martial arts he knew to evade being hit by the Cyborg, but he had finally been cornered in the shop and didn't think he could escape. As a blood covered leg was thrust out from the Spider at him, he closed his eyes knowing it would be the last thing he saw.

After a moment where he felt no pain and only heard the continual grinding of the cogs in the Cyborg, Isamu slowly opened his eyes. He was shocked as he saw the back of what looked like a blonde woman in tights holding the Spider's leg, pushing back and keeping it at bay.

"Huh!?" Isamu gasped.

Striker America turned around, revealing her helmet's face to Isamu before speaking to him in Japanese. "Get out of here!"

"Ahhhhh!" Isamu screamed, being scared by the helmet he saw thinking it was an organic face.

"No... ugh... this is helmet!" Angela screamed in broken Japanese. "Now leave! I help you!"

"What is happening!?" Isamu screamed in English, noting Angela's American accent. "He's trying to get _me_!"

Angela furrowed her brow. As she was about to ask what he meant by that, the Spider pulled his leg back taking Striker America with him. He flung his leg about wildly until the Power Ranger lost her grip and went flying out a window, rolling out onto the street.

Spider Cyborg then returned his attention to where Isamu had been. He noted the boy gone, and began scanning the building for heat signatures. Locking onto Isamu in the bathroom trying to climb out a window to the alley, Spider Cyborg raced forward and barrelled through a wall. He reached forward and was about to stab the boy before staggering forward. His scanners told him he had been hit. Spinning around, he saw Striker America standing behind him, throwing Morphing Knives at him.

Recalibrating, Spider Cyborg revealed a cannon from its abdominal area. It pointed at Striker America and began to shoot webbing out at her.

"Uh-oh..." Striker America stated, diving out of the way.

"Angela!" Harlen's voice was suddenly heard in her helmet. "I'm sorry it took so long to get online! I was in a meeting!"

"Whatever! Just help me out!" Striker America yelled as she narrowly dodged another shot. "What do I do!?"

"Don't get hit! That webbing will turn to acid as soon as it touches you!" Harlen explained quickly. "It is strong enough to rip through your suit!"

"Just great..." She muttered as she performed a backflip.

Turning around, seeing that Isamu had escaped, she leapt through a window and back to the street. She cursed under her breath as she saw the Spider Cyborg not chase after her but after Isamu again.

"Harlen! The thing is after Isamu! Why!?"

"How should I know!?"

"I don't know! It's just that... How did it know I planned to make him a Ranger!?" Striker America asked as she performed some acrobatics to scale the side of a building's ladders and porches to get onto its roof. "He is specifically trying to get him!"

"That... that must be a coincidence!" Harlen speculated. "There is no way anyone outside of Alphabet Soup should know that."

 _Yeah, right..._ Angela thought as she sprinted from rooftop to rooftop, trying to find the Spider Cyborg and its prey. _That is_ _too_ _much of a coincidence..._

"To your left!" Harlen shouted.

Nodding, Striker America did a swandive off the building and into the alley. As she did, she landed in between the Spider and Isamu as it was about to shoot webbing at the young man. The webbing hit Striker America hard.

"Agh!" She screamed falling to a knee in pain.

"Why are you helping me!?" Isamu demanded, angry to see yet another person injured because of him.

As the Spider Cyborg jumped at her, she threw a Morphing Knife and destroyed its Web Cannon. She cried out in pain as one of the eight legs stabbed her in the shoulder. It didn't penetrate the suit, but Morphing Energy erupted from her suit as she flew through the air. Calculating, Spider Cyborg jumped up and slashed at her several times with each leg before landing calmly back on its feet, crushing the pavement beneath him.

Suddenly, police officers stormed in with SHIELD agents. They began shooting at the Spider Cyborg, drawing its attention from Striker America and Isamu. As it marched off to attack the new fighters, Isamu rushed to the gasping Striker America.

"What are you!?" Isamu demanded.

"I'm... a Power Ranger..." Angela gasped, taking off her helmet. "I'm here to... save you..."

Before Isamu could answer, she took off the ring intended for him and slipped into onto one of his fingers. He looked at it in confusion.

"What is this!?" He asked, scared.

Pulling herself up as her suit began to repair the damages on it, she pulled her helmet back on. Tufts of her own hair peaked through the helmet as she had hastily put it on before securing her hair back, being in the hurry that she was to help SHIELD take the Cyborg down.

"It is to... help you defend yourself. To become a Power Ranger like me," She replied. "I have come to bring you into my team. I'm so sorry it is rushed, but the situation cannot be helped..."

"Why me!?" Isamu demanded, growing angry as he began to wonder if that was the reason he had been targeted. The reason his friends had perished.

"I'll explain when I get the chance!" Angela stated in a rush as she saw an explosion erupt from behind a building. "This is a decision only you can make! If you decide to accept this, push the button on that ring and say, 'Striker Japan'. Then come and help me take this thing down once and for all!"

Without another word, Striker America turned and sprinted toward the fight. Watching her run, Isamu's mind was reeling. He then looked down at the ring.

 _This thing made her powerful enough to survive attacks from that thing..._ He thought in awe. _It can give me that power, too? But why me!? No! I refuse to accept this! Is it because of this I had to watch my friends get trampled by that machine!? But... but if I don't, then wouldn't the end of their lives be in vain? And will I not be able to avenge them properly...?_

As Isamu stood in the back of the alley, weighing his options, Striker America had re-joined the battle. Rushing in, she had landed on Spider Cyborg's back and had began stabbing away at his back. No matter how hard she tried, though, she could not penetrate his advanced armor. Before she could try yet again, the Cyborg shucked her off of him.

Slamming down onto the shattered concrete below, she looked at the beast as it made its way menacingly toward her. All around were the scattered bodies of policemen and SHIELD agents who had tried and failed at taking it down. As its shadow spilled over her, she swallowed hard. She knew that she would be the next to lose her life to the thing...

. . .

Sitting at his office, General of the Army Rex watched as his monitor on his wall came to life. On it the image of Lothor appeared.

"Why hello there!" Lothor said cheerfully. "You know, for a Human you sure are resourceful!"

"Oh? How so?" Rex asked with the hint of a smile.

"I looked into you and your 'little' operation on Earth," Lothor stated. "Interesting things I discovered. You are using the same algorithms to find your little kids for Alphabet Soup that my organization, the United Alliance of Evil, uses to find some of its own 'special' children. You know of the prophecy, don't you?"

Rex smiled, deciding not to answer the question. "Well, Lothor... it's funny you say you are with the United Alliance. I could have _sworn_ you were in league with Mavro, Xelleb, and the Armada..."

"How do you know about the Armada!?" Lothor asked, concerned. "And whatever! I am _not_ associated with those buffoons!"

Rex winked. "Whatever you say, Lothor. To what do I owe the occasion?"

Lothor curled his lip in anger. "Your mannerisms... Do I know you!?"

Smiling again, Rex shrugged. "We may or may not have crossed paths before. Anyway, you haven't answered my question: to what do I owe the occasion?"

Cocking an eyebrow up, Lothor nodded. "Fine. I was just calling in to see if you were going to accept my offer or not."

"Ah, yes. The advanced shells to pierce the armor of the Machine Empire," Rex stated. "You know, it's fairly obvious that you were the one who supplied them with the advanced armor to begin with. You like making money off of war, don't you?"

Lothor smiled and shrugged. "I have mouths to feed and an organization to support. My funds are greatly appreciated."

"I'm sure Xelleb thinks so." Rex stated with a wink. "Yes, well I suppose I will be needing that ammunition and tech. I have word that my recently commissioned team of Power Rangers are being attacked by one of these new machines as we speak. I suppose without this tech they are done for, correct?"

Lothor nodded. "Most definitely."

"It's a deal, then. Have your people talk to my people for payment," Rex said. "And I look forward to doing business with you soon again in the future..."

"As do I..." Lothor stated, though still feeling uneasy about the conversation as he logged off.

Rex then turned and looked at the file on his desk. It was of Isamu Takenaka. He had not wanted Isamu on his team. He wasn't someone who he could bend to his will like the rest of the team. A wildcard. He thought about how he had allowed the Machine Empire access to enough information earlier that morning so that they could find out about Isamu. They had responded exactly as he had planned: they had sent an assassin to get rid of him.

 _And if they are as good as Dark Specter thinks they are, the Machine Empire should be finishing up destroying that young man right about now._ Rex thought deviously. _And then_ _my_ _Global Strike team will be assembled. My plans for domination are so close... the Greatest Treasure in the Universe will be mine, and_ _no one_ _will be able to stop me!_

. . .

 _ **Magic/Mystic Realm of Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Scorpina marched across the grasslands and foliage until she found her target: the temple of the Order of the Claw. The group who after the downfall of Dai Shi went by the name of Pai Zhua. She could feel herself shudder with anticipation. She crawled through the foliage, slinking down as she did, like a spider ready to entrap its prey.

 _I can feel you deep within those walls, my master..._ Scorpina thought. _I will find you, Dai Shi. I will release you and bring you back to me. Then we will finally be able to finish what you started. With me as your top general, we will get to the Greatest Treasure in the Universe!_

Sitting in quiet, she stared at the walls of the temple. She could hear grunts coming from the Cubs on the inside, training to become the next warriors the Pai Zhua needed. She knew there were many of them inside, training for the day (should it come) when Dai Shi would be freed once again. She knew they would be guarding him, but she was patient. She knew that soon she would be able to awaken him from his slumber...

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Walking to his car, Sophomore Zack rushed to grab the cassette of "funky music" he had promised to his class of eager students. They were among the first of his for what he was hoping would become a national sensation. Hip Hop Kido, the name he had given the form of martial arts/dancing he had invented months earlier after receiving his first training sessions from Jason, was what he thought would be his ticket to fame and money. He loved being a Power Ranger, but he knew that one day that would be gone (hopefully because he helped save the world from evil space aliens). He needed to have something else to fall back on and he hoped Hip Hop Kido would be just that thing.

Grabbing the cassette, he locked his door and rushed back to the group of kids he had been teaching. As he did, he saw them all on the ground, seemingly asleep. He then saw several white butterflies hovering over them. It appeared as if they were sprinkling the kids with some sort of white powder. Fear washed over him as he rushed to them, yelling at the butterflies to go away. Almost as if they knew they were finished, the butterflies flew off.

He tried to wake the children up, but to no avail. Fearing it was connected to Rita, he contacted Zordon. The Eltarian Wizard did a quick Nathadian Scan and found out that the area had been dosed by the butterflies with sleeping powder. Although Zack's connection to the Morphing Grid was staving off the effects of the powder, in a matter of moments Zack would still fall to the spell if he continued prolonged exposure. Zordon urged Zack to get out of there immediately to save himself.

"Well I can't leave them alone!" Zack cried out, looking at the kids. He was half ashamed that a part of him was not only worried about the kids, but whether or not if he left them alone that his start up company for Hip Hop Kido would be held liable.

"Don't worry, Zachary! I will keep an eye on them," Zordon stated through the communicator.

Curling his lip in disgust as he saw the butterflies continue to sprinkle dust and round back to pour more over the area he was in (falling prey to his phobia of bugs), Zack turned tail and sprinted away. He couldn't get to his car as they were around it, so he decided to continue running through the park. As he did, he remembered what he had learned about a statue in the park. He first inclination was to disregard it, but remembering he lived in a world with Magic and how he could become a superhero, he thought it worth a shot to see if the stories about the statue in the park being able to ward off "bad bugs" was true.

Getting there, though, he quickly noted how the statue was looking differently than he had remembered it. The statue he knew had a flower in its hair, but this one had a snake. Realizing (correctly) that it must have been Rita's inability to not somehow sign her work to let the world know that she was behind it due to vanity, Zack morphed into the Black Mastodon Ranger and pulled out his Power Axe. Pointing it at the statue, he shot at it to destroy it. What happened then was the furthest thing that Zack would have wanted: a massive Spider Monster jumped and attacked him.

Suddenly, Goldar himself also appeared. Goldar began fighting him with much fervor, not allowing him to get close to the Spider. He attempted to get past the gold brute, but every swing of his Power Axe was met with a block and parry. Once he thought all was done for, his four comrades arrived.

Things were yet close to being well, though. The Spider webbed them down and before they could escape, Goldar shot them with several fireballs from his sword. Pulling himself up with determination, the Black Ranger pulled out his Blade Blaster and shot at him, crippling him greatly.

Goldar then watched in confusion as Rita's wand appeared and caused the gases of Lifestream to erupt from the earth and cause the Spider to grow. _You fool! You impulsive fool! Why make him grow so quickly!? I cannot wait for when my Twin and I take you down, just as I destroyed the other Rita!_

Seeing his time there was done, Goldar teleported back to the Moon as the Power Rangers called for their Dino Zords. They were once again going to have to come together and tackle another giant Monster...

. . .

In a clearing outside of the city limits, Tommy Oliver practiced his Martial Arts. Things had slowly become in Angel Grove as they were when he lived in San Angeles: he was a loner who spent all of his time focused in training. There was something else, though... something that further drove him to losing himself in his training. It wasn't even the fact that he had to be the best he could be as a Power Ranger. It was because of the haunting thoughts he had of when he had been an _evil_ Power Ranger.

Images flashed through his mind as he trained with his sword. Of him shooting Green Morphing Energy out of his eyes to frighten Bulk and Skull. Of trapping Jason in the Dark Dimension and nearly stabbing him in the chest with the Sword of Darkness. Of becoming a giant and battling the Megazord. Of his countless attempts at destroying Zordon. Of the destruction to the harbor and the lives lost due to his summoning of the Dragonzord. But above all, the voice that had been in his head, urging him to continue. Every so often, in random situations, it was almost as if he could hear that voice again. It haunted his sleep, his waking moments, his thoughts during the day. He trained to flush that all out.

Suddenly, his communicator went off. There was only one reason that would happen: the battle had escalated and Zordon was calling him in to help even the score against Rita. Tommy did not yet understand fully why the rule for escalating the battle existed (for Zordon had never fully explained to the team about the Order of Meledon), but he knew that it was not his place to question things. His guilt over what he had done had actually stopped him in a lot of situations (during team practices or meetings) to voice his opinion, feeling he wasn't worthy to have a say in things.

Tommy answered the call as he stabbed his sword into the ground. "I read you Zordon."

"The Rangers have been cornered by Rita's Spider Monster in Angel Grove Park. They need your help," Zordon stated simply through the communicator.

"Right. I'm on my way." Tommy replied, getting mentally ready for the fight as he spoke and pulled out his morpher. "Dragonzord!"

Feeling himself teleported, he found himself landing in the park and pulling out his Dragon Dagger. Summoning the Dragonzord, he watched it march into the battle happening on the outskirts of the park. His Zord shoulder slammed the Spider Monster before continuing its fight. Tommy found himself worried as the Dragonzord was suddenly caught up in webbing before ordering his weapon to fire missiles out of its fingertips to free itself.

Landing on the ground, joined by the Tyrannosaurus Zord, Tommy overheard Jason call out for the Mega Dragonzord. In the Time Warp, Zordon shook his head slowly as he watched Jason enact the formation. Instead of the Mega Dragonzord, the Dragonzord in Battle Mode was what was configured.

As the Megazord stabbed the Spider Monster in the gut with its drill, Saba turned to Zordon. "Why are you shaking your head?"

"Jason... he has become quite forgetful," Zordon stated. "He calls out one formation and yet does another. He keeps forgetting the names of things, like how he used to call the Power Sword the Mega Sword or something of the sort."

"Why is that important, though?" Saba asked.

Zordon sighed. "It shows to me that even though he comes in here most mornings to train, that he is yet not letting the Order of Meledon flow through him. It wouldn't be possible to make those mistakes if it did. I'm afraid of it being a symptom of a larger condition. If he is to be the man I need him to be, he needs to put more of himself into this."

Saba nodded. "I agree, Zordon. Let us begin to make arrangements for his training."

"Sorry to interrupt..." Tria was heard saying suddenly, walking in from a Time Portal. "But I think you guys are bein' kinda hard on him, aren't ya'?"

"Tria!" Zordon said happily walking over to her and giving her a large embrace. "It is great to see you! How can I help you?"

"Well, first of all I think you can give Jason a break," Tria stated. "He's just a kid _volunteering_ his time in a war that's not really his."

Zordon sighed. "The fate of the universe is at hand. He is in my army and needs to do what I, the general of this army, think is best."

Tria cocked up an eyebrow. "He's just a kid. He hasn't had much of a choice in this situation, has he? You're running them ragged."

"So what? We should not? They are fighting a battle against the evils of the universe!" Saba proclaimed.

"Yeah, but... this isn't their battle! You guys pulled them up from their homes because they fit a profile you guys believe in," Tria argued. "And because they are good kids, they didn't say no. And you knew they wouldn't."

"That is why they are the right ones for the job," Zordon stated simply.

"Yeah, because you can bully them around and they won't ever argue," Tria countered. "You're turning them into mindless drones who only do what you want them to do. They show up, you give them orders, and then they go home when you say they can."

"Where is this coming from!?" Zordon suddenly asked.

Tria bit her lip. "I dunno... I guess I'm kinda reflectin' the way I feel about my situation onto them. I didn't ask to be taken in by The Guardian, but here I am! I just don't want them to end up trapped like me..."

"You're not trapped, though. You can leave whenever you want," Saba stated.

"Yeah, and throw off Universal Equilibrium even more because I should be dead," Tria replied. "It's the same thing your rangers feel, Zordon. A sense of duty. Yeah, I could be selfish and head on back to my life, but in the end I know it's the right thing to stay in the Hall of Legends. Even though I _can_ and _want_ to go back to my life... I _want_ to do the right thing _more_. Does that make sense? Just... be nicer to these kids. They deserve it."

Zordon nodded slowly. "I will try to think of that... but, is this the only reason you came?"

She shook her head. "No, I only happened to overhear what you were sayin'. I actually came here to tell you that Zrin may have found a lock on Trinity."

"What!?" Zordon gasped.

"And it seems as if he was able to find her because of his tracking of the other Zordon who vanished while protecting you from the Green Ranger," Tria revealed. "They seem to be in the same place."

"Where!?" Zordon blurted out. "I have to get to my wife!"

"That's the problem..." Tria said, looking down in shame. "September said he knows the place. Both Trinity and the Zordon from Timeline A are in a facility. A dimension that serves as a prison for those who have crossed the Supreme. They are without a doubt being held there to find out where the Hall of Legends is."

"I must go there!" Zordon implored.

"I know, I know. The Guardian and September both realized you would want to go. That is why they sent me here to tell you about it," Tria explained. "As soon as they figure out a way... you will come with us to save Trinity and your Temporal Twin. I just wanted to give you the update."

Hugging Tria hard, Zordon began to cry. "Thank you so much for telling me. Please... tell September and The Guardian to work quickly. We must save my wife..."

"She's my sister, too, Zordon," Tria stated. "I want her back just as badly as you do. We are doing all we can. So... just focus on this now, okay? Focus on stopping Rita. We'll take care of the rest."

Nodding in agreement, the two said their goodbyes before Tria left back for the Hall of Legends. As she did, Saba stepped up and patted Zordon on the shoulder.

"We will get her back," Saba stated.

"Yes, we will." Zordon replied as he wiped the remaining tear off his own cheek. "But she is right. We have a Witch to fight. Now, let's focus back on another of our projects."

Saba pursed his lips together. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Zordon barked before regaining his composure. "Now, let's get back to work... Um... onto the power of Thunder. Yes... let's work on the Thunder project and those Thunderzords."

. . .

Ernie stood in the park, staring at the place where the statue had once been. He knew that it had been likely destroyed after Rita had taken it to replace it with her Spider Monster carrier. He pursed his lips as he remembered how Trini had been wanting so badly to not allow it to be torn down.

 _Well, I guess I could always do something about that..._ Ernie thought with a smile.

. . .

"General McKnight?" Richie said as he walked in. "May I have a word with you, sir?"

"What is it Agent Mendoza?" McKnight said, looking up from the papers on his desk as Richie made his way into the general's office.

"Well... Agent Ernie Finestein has recently used government funds and resources to recreate the statute that Rita destroyed in the park," Richie said. "He even pulled some strings and got the city council to sign an agreement not to tear it down, sir."

"And?" McKnight asked, annoyed.

"Well... he said he did it because he was trying to help appease the kids of the high school. The paperwork says that he deemed it necessary for Kaplan's further experiments," Richie further explained.

"I am failing to see any relevance in this," McKnight said with frustration. "I'm already buried in paperwork trying to order a crew into Angel Grove to find the genetically modified insects Professor Barts lost earlier today because of those nitwits Bulkmeier and Skullovitch."

"The thing is, sir," Richie continued. "The only person who cared about that statue at all was Trini Kwan. Ernie did all of this just for her. I think he is showing too much affection for the Power Ranger teens."

McKnight curled a lip up in anger. "I see... thank you for the notice, Agent Mendoza. You may go."

As Richie left, he smiled to himself. _That Ernie is an idiot and doesn't deserve the post he has. If I can get him out and take his place, though, I will be even closer to the Power Rangers. I can learn more of their secrets and then once I become a ranger myself? They won't stand a chance against me!_

McKnight, however, had a different train of thought. _Ernie is going native... He has too much affection for these kids. He is a good agent, but if he keeps this up I will have to end his career here..._ _permanently_ _._


	16. Chapter Sixteen: The Spit Flower

**Chapter Sixteen: The Spit Flower**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Ernie walked down the halls of Alphabet Soup. He had been called to a meeting and he was very anxious to hear what it was about. The timing just seemed _off_ to him, though. To be called to the main headquarters by General McKnight an hour or so after having caused the return of the statue in Angel Grove Park made him worried that he was going to be chewed out for "abusing" the powers he had as a secret agent for Alphabet Soup.

As he approached the door to where the meeting was to be held, Ernie found himself uncharacteristically nervous. Being a field agent left him with nerves of steel, but having to deal with the power General Rex, and by extension McKnight, had left him feeling horrible. He knew how people in the program had a tendency to "disappear", and he wouldn't be surprised to open the door just to be at the wrong end of Agent Richie Mendoza's gun barrel.

Exhaling out slowly, Ernie readied himself and swung the door open. What he saw shocked him. Instead of someone ready to end his life, the room was filled with various agents sitting at a conference table, seats pointed toward a monitor showing what looked like a battle in progress. Noting Ernie's look of confusion, Dr. Kaplan headed over to him.

"Follow me. I have a seat ready for you," Kaplan whispered.

"What's going on?" Ernie whispered back.

"McKnight is showing us the first of the new Power Rangers from the Global Strike team," Kaplan explained. "She has intercepted a Monster in Japan and is trying to take it down."

Looking at the scene on the screen, Ernie frowned. "She doesn't seem to be faring too well..."

"No, she doesn't." Kaplan replied as both he and Ernie sat down next to Agent Applebee.

As Ernie sat, he saw the image before him. The Monster he knew not was called simply the Spider Cyborg lumbered toward the fallen Striker America. She seemed badly injured, and was struggling to pull herself back to her feet. As she did, her pleas for help could be heard on the audio system.

"This is Striker America!" She yelled. "I need back up!"

"You see those bodies around you!?" Dr. Harlen was heard saying. "They _were_ the back up! I don't know if anyone else can get to you in time! You need to do something!"

"Teleport me out, then!" Striker America demanded.

"I can't," Harlen stated with regret in his voice. "The Machine Empire apparently learned from their last encounter with you and installed a signal jammer in their newest creation. I cannot teleport you as long as you are near him..."

"Target locked," Spider Cyborg suddenly said. "Extermination process: begin."

 _I have to keep fighting!_ Angela thought.

In the room, Clark Fairweather suddenly jumped up from his seat. "You have to do something! Someone, please! That's my sister!"

Spider Cyborg cocked six of his appendages back. Striker America could hear the gears grinding as they did. Putting her arms in front of her crossed like an 'x' as if to block the blow, she braced herself for what she hoped would not be a deathblow.

The gears released. With all the force he could muster, Spider Cyborg hurled his appendages forward to stab Striker America as many times as would be needed before he could penetrate her Morphing Suit. Just as they were to reach her, a flash of light exploded from the side of the Cyborg. Stumbling back and falling (causing his attack to miss), Spider Cyborg quickly jumped to his feet and used his sensors to detect the source of the attack. Looking, he found a white and red suited man with a humanoid helmet staring straight back at him.

The man pointed defiantly at Spider Cyborg and caused his weapon, a rod made of Morphing Energy, to re-appear in his hand. The symbol of the national flag of Japan could be seen displayed proudly on his chest. Still with his finger pointed at the beast, he spoke in clear English to it.

"You leave her alone, beast! Striker Japan online and ready!"

"Isamu!?" Striker America gasped, pulling herself up to her feet slowly.

"Recalibrating..." Spider Cyborg stated as it rushed ahead to attack the new Power Ranger.

"I think not!" Striker Japan shouted, jumping forward.

As he flew through the air, he threw his Morphing Lance ahead of him to stab his opponent. The advanced armor supplied to the beast from Lothor Industries could not be pierced, unfortunately, but it still caused the Cyborg to stagger back. Temporarily blinded by the mini explosion the lance's impact produced, Striker Japan kicked it before landing back onto his feet. He then reached forward to grapple with the many limbs of his opponent.

"I need some backup here!" Striker Japan implored.

"Heading in now!" Striker America reported, rushing in with an almost fully repaired suit. "Hi-yah!"

Throwing Morphing Knives, she caused Spider Cyborg to begin to malfunction while he tried to wrestle with Striker Japan. She grabbed the Monster from behind and began trying to pull it down.

"You push, I pull!" Striker America said in Japanese.

"Sounds great!" Striker Japan answered in his native tongue.

"Recalibration successful," Spider Cyborg suddenly reported.

The two new rangers could hear the gears in the Monster shift. Before they could react, he began spinning his arms. Sparks flew all about from their suits as the many limbs hit their suits. After a few rounds of brutal blows the two Global Strike Rangers found themselves licking their wounds from the pavement.

"How do we stop him!?" Striker Japan demanded.

"I... I don't know..." Striker America answered in English.

"Perhaps I can be of service?" A new voice echoed in their helmets.

"What!?" Striker America gasped, looking around.

In a black and green suit, rushing in from the other end of the alley, another person in a suit similar to their own approached the scene. He seemed to have great confidence in his demeanor as he summoned what looked like brass knuckles onto his fists made of Morphing Energy.

"Who is that!?" Striker Japan asked in awe.

"My name is Thomas Arusei." The ranger stated as he swung his fist, causing two of the Cyborg's appendages to fly off the beast's body upon contact. "But you can call me Striker Kenya!

"General Rex just presented us with some upgraded weaponry that should pierce this new armor!"

"He's right!" Dr. Harlen suddenly said, breaking his silence. "I just finished downmorphing the schematics to your morphers. Your weapons will now be able to rip that thing apart!"

"Morphing Lance!"

"Morphing Knives!"

"Alright, my friends..." Striker Kenya said in English (with a heavy accent). " _Let's finish him_!"

From his seat in Angel Grove, Ernie watched with the other officers as the three Power Rangers lunged forward from different angles. The Cyborg stood no chance: with a combination of some good weaving and dodging and some well placed blows, the Cyborg fell to the ground in a messy heap.

"It's offline!" Harlen proclaimed victoriously.

"Good job, Global Strike," Angela was heard saying as the footage ended. "That's a wrap."

"Ladies and gentlemen," McKnight said, standing up from his seat. "I give you Global Strike!"

As everyone began clapping enthusiastically, Ernie turned to Kaplan to whisper a comment. "Those guys look fierce. I heard rumors that McKnight is going to pit them up against Zordon's team."

Kaplan shrugged. "I don't know. If he does, though, it will be a great opportunity for me to collect some data."

Meanwhile, one man was not clapping. Fuming instead, Richie Mendoza stood up and stormed out of the office. His blood had begun boiling upon the appearance of Striker Japan, who he knew was the Red Ranger of the team.

 _Who do they take me for!?_ Richie thought angrily. _A_ _fool_ _!? I sacrificed everything in my_ _life_ _for Alphabet Soup! And what do they do!? They dangle a carrot out in front of me but never give it to me! They will_ _pay_ _for this! They have_ _no idea_ _who they just messed with!_

 _. . ._

Trini seemed to be floating as a grey fog embraced her. She had never felt so... _free_ in her life. What she could only describe as being an everlasting calm flowed through her as she floated. She could feel the sensation taking her somewhere, but she didn't care to where. All her mind could focus on was how _good_ it felt.

 _Wait... how did I get here?_ Trini suddenly asked herself.

A feeling of dread began to wash over her, combating the glowing warmth and comfort she had been feeling up until that point. As she grew more worried, she suddenly felt that feeling of calm rush back _harder_. That in and of itself left her feeling even _more_ uneasy. What was it that was making her feel so _good_ , and why did it seem like it was trying to blind her to everything else? Something so obvious in its attempts to numb her senses couldn't be good in the long run, she determined.

Gathering all of the Willpower she could muster, Trini reached behind her for her Power Morpher. Feeling it, she forced herself to pull it out and thrust it out in front of her. With tears streaming down her face (for apparently the power she was feeling was beginning to try to make her feel guilty for wanting to rid her body of the pleasure), Trini found the strength to call out her Dino Spirit Animal.

"Sabertoothed Tiger!"

Suddenly everything went black. A few moments later, she found herself in a very familiar room, completely white save for faint marks where the floors and walls met each other. Looking around, morphed as the Yellow Ranger, she suddenly spotted the Hooded Man make his presence known in the odd Space.

"You!" She accused.

Wearing the ever soulless goggles, the Hooded Man nodded. "Yes, _me_. I told you that I would return to begin your training."

"Is that what that was!? _Training_!?" The Yellow Ranger yelled in anger.

"Not quite. It was a preliminary test. Not many can fight the waves of pleasure that test was built to give. Your ability to stay grounded in reality is impressive. You are giving me faith that my calculations were correct in picking you as the Chosen Trini," Hooded Man stated.

Yellow Ranger found herself taken aback by that statement until she remembered what he had told her in a previous encounter. "Because all other Trinis are apparently destined to perish, right?"

"You are correct. But I think you have the power... the Will to push forward and, with the right training, defeat your destiny. And in so doing help me with my own destiny," Hooded Man said mysteriously.

"And then you will bring my brother back to me?" Trini asked, demorphing.

"You have my word," The Hooded Man answered as his voice seemed to grow more distant.

"Ah!" Trini gasped, jumping up in bed in a cold sweat.

She looked around, finding herself once again in her room. She looked over to Mr. Ticklesneezer and picked him up.

"Oh Mr. Ticklesneezer... My life will never be normal again, will it?"

 _. . ._

Tommy Oliver and his teammates sans Kimberly were sweeping up a big mess. A mess caused by none other than Rita Repulsa herself. She had sent a squadron of her horrible Putty Patrollers to Ernie's Juice Bar for one purpose: to destroy a model of a float Kim had been making for a big parade that was being held in Angel Grove. They hadn't apparently cared that the barrier SHIELD put up around Angel Grove would weaken them for teleporting directly into the city. They only cared about ruining Kimberly's float. It had ended up being the most petty thing Rita had ever done. Kim was truly crushed.

As the teens spoke about how horrible it had been for Kimberly, Trini looked up at them. "I wish there was something we could do."

Tommy suddenly had a thought. "I've got an idea... We'll deal with it later, though. I gotta go."

Picking up the bag of garbage, Tommy made his way up to where Kim was sulking at the bar. She looked so sad there, head resting on her own arm. Tommy set the bag to the side and approached her.

"You gonna be okay?" He asked as he placed a hand on her arm.

"Yeah I'll be fine," She said, slapping on a brave face.

"The guys wanna talk you out to lunch but... I gotta go take care of something," Tommy stated as his mind was running at a hundred miles per hour, trying to put his plan together. "Can I drop this stuff off at your house?"

Kim looked at the bag full of what was once her float and groaned. "No. I don't need it around to remind me of the parade."

 _Perfect._ Tommy thought happily, hoping he could take it with him.

"Yeah, okay. I'll catch you later." Tommy said, picking the bag back up and leaving.

About a half hour later, Tommy found himself sitting in his garage. He had surrounded himself with painting supplies to complete the mysterious task he had alluded to earlier. It was a bold and caring task: he was bound and determined to put Kim's float back together. He was rather flustered, though, due to not being exactly the best craftsman around. Kim's artistic abilities completely dwarfed his own, which was proving to be a challenge for him since he was hoping to piece the model of the float back together exactly how Kim had it.

That's when Tommy heard his communicator go off. He groaned within himself as he answered it, knowing it could mean one thing: a Monster attack. He knew his place on the team was to be the backup if anything were to go wrong, but it seemed like nearly every attack that had happened since he joined the team necessitated him. He wondered somewhere in his mind whether Rita had really upped her game permanently since she gave him his powers, or if the Power Rangers were subconsciously not trying as hard since they knew they had him as a trump card. Either way, he knew that even with the project he was working on that he could not delay. He complied to Zordon's order and morphed into action.

Arriving at the scene via teleportation, the Green Ranger saw what looked like a giant toad with flora growing atop it about ready to step on the collective of the Power Ranger team. He quickly pulled out his Dragon Dagger as if by instinct and pointed it at the Monster. Focusing more clearly than he had since his days as Rita's evil pawn, he pointed the Dragon Dagger at the Monster and shot a concentrated beam of Green Morphing Energy at the offender, knocking it back just enough to stop it from destroying the Power Rangers.

 _I guess that answers my question about whether or not they really needed me..._ Tommy thought with a slight smirk as he rushed over to his teammates.

In the Time Warp, Saba looked to Zordon. "I have not seen Tommy display that amount of power since he was under Rita's control!"

Zordon nodded. "Yes... I can feel it. His total concern and dedication to the team allowed him momentarily to become at one with the Morphing Grid. Absolutely outstanding!"

"Perhaps he would be a good candidate as a co-leader for this team?" Saba asked.

Zordon brightened up at that, looking to Saba. "Oh? Not as a completely new leader? Finally warming up to Jason, I see?"

Saba laughed. "I was thinking that he could be a good co-leader to _Billy_."

Zordon returned the laugh, shaking his head slowly. "Oh, Saba... Billy is just not ready for something like that. All of the members of the team have equal potential, but Jason is the one who has the talents to lead this team to success. No one else."

Saba pursed his lips as he returned to watching the fight. There was something about Billy that called out to him. Something about him that told Saba that he was destined for greatness. Perhaps a bit of him was hostile toward Jason because it was the Order of Meledon that had aided in choosing him as leader. It was entirely possible in Saba's mind that he was projecting his disdain for the Order onto Jason as a personification of it, but in the end Saba didn't care. All he cared about was seeing Billy become team leader.

As he thought, he watched the zords get called out to tackle the Monster known as the Spit Monster. As he watched, he noted how Jason had been barking out the orders to the team, telling them what to do. In all actuality he was doing a great job at making sure the pieces the Order of Meledon was telling him to put done were in play, but the way he was doing it rubbed Saba's fur the wrong way. And then, both Zordon and Saba heard something that was already concerning Zordon.

"Mega Dragonzord transformation _now_!" Red Ranger cried out.

"Oh, Jason..." Zordon lamented. "He did it once again. I don't know, Saba... maybe you're right. He does so well, but then simple things like the names of the combinations slip past him. There must be _something_ that is inhibiting him from fully feeling the Order flow through him... but what?"

Saba nodded slowly, pleased that the seeds he had been planting were finally blossoming. "I know not, my friend. But perhaps giving Billy the chance I believe he deserves may shed some light on things."

Zordon shrugged. "I don't know, Saba. Maybe? Maybe not. I will need to do some meditating on the subject."

He then saw it. The Dragonzord in Battle Mode was losing badly to the Spit Flower. Answering Alpha 5's cries of help, Zordon saw that the team was indeed about to get their zords severely damaged. He called the rangers back and began an analysis of the battle. As the computer did so, he had the team observe Spit Flower from the Viewing Globe. He then sent a message to SHIELD to help out against the Monster.

"We've sent a few jets," Nick Fury replied. "I can't send out anything else, though. Things for my team have... _escalated_ due to a new threat."

"Anything I can do to help?" Zordon asked, concerned.

Zordon could see Fury shake his head in the small box on his hologram. "No, no. This is a governmental thing. Some vigilantes are trying to shut down something General of the Army Rex has brewing. I'll let you know if I do need you, though. Fury over and out."

"If they are messing with Rex, these vigilantes may not be so bad then. Right, Zordon?" Saba asked.

Zordon smirked. "The Power Rangers started out as being called vigilantes if you recall, Saba. Tria being hunted down by the Alliance?"

"How could I forget?" Saba asked. "Dark days, those were. Caused in large part by Novact."

"Please remind me to see if Doc and Trint have any news on Deviot and his Bio Mech Rangers," Zordon said upon hearing the name Novact. "Those rangers are still trapped under his control and they really should not be."

That's when the scanner ended. Zordon realized from the scanner what had happened: Jason had misinterpreted his feelings from the Order of Meledon. He was feeling something having to do with Kimberly, but thought that it was a prompting to have her sit out from the Megazord battle and assumed it was a prompting to call on the Dragonzord in Battle Mode. What it was meant to be was using Kim's expert archery skills to hit a weak spot on the Monster's person. Commenting to the team about the weak spot, it automatically led Jason to feeling out what exactly was needed.

Telling Tommy to stay back since his presence would be overkill, Zordon watched as the Pink Ranger took down Spit Flower with two quick bow shots. Following that, the Power Rangers were easily able to overcome the Monster with their Power Weapons being combined.

"See, Saba?" Zordon stated. "He had just made a small misinterpretation. He is still new to the Morphing Grid and the ever complex workings of the Order of Meledon. He was on the right track, though. Jason is a good leader."

"He almost got the zords destroyed," Saba argued.

"And that is why I am here. To guide him in the right direction. He cannot learn with some failure," Zordon stated.

"Zordon? Tommy needs my help. I am going with him to help with something," Alpha 5 said suddenly, interrupting the discussion he knew not was occurring.

From the tube with its modulated voice, Zordon nodded. "Go then, Alpha. And good luck with whatever it is you need with him Tommy."

"Thanks Zordon." Tommy said as he demorphed and teleported away.

"Did you notice that?" Saba asked.

"The Blade Blaster on his belt on the way his shield looked? Yes," Zordon answered. "It appears to be some fluctuations with his power. I have an odd feeling that somehow he is still tapped to Rita, but I have yet to determine _how_... All I see when I try to think about it is some green candle, though I know not what that means. It's causing the template stored in his Morpher to glitch and change the density of his shield and for random weapons to appear on his person like the Blade Blaster."

"Most concerning..." Saba stated.

"I agree," Zordon said. "I won't say this to the team to not concern them, but I fear for Tommy's future. Something tells me his is only at the beginning of his struggles with Rita and the forces of evil."

 _. . ._

Tommy made his way to the Youth Center as quickly as he could while carrying an exact replica of the model of Kim's float. After the battle he had asked Alpha 5 to go with him to his garage to work on the model. Alpha 5 had proven to be a bit more to handle than he had planned, but the robot's attention to detail was great enough to compensate for the trouble he caused in giving Tommy the wrong tools and accidentally gluing a bottle to his own hand.

Ernie looked up in confusion as Tommy rushed into the area. "Tommy!? What are you doing here so early buddy?"

Breathing hard, Tommy placed the replica on Ernie's counter. "During the latest Monster attack Kim's float got destroyed. I... I was able to put it back together."

"Wow, Tommy! That's great but... the float still has to be _made_. There's no way this can be done!" Ernie exclaimed.

Tommy sighed. "I know but... something told me that if I went to you it could get all fixed!"

Ernie gave Tommy an intense look. "What made you think that...?"

"I dunno... just... a feeling I had was all..." Tommy said sincerely.

 _I wonder if it has anything to do with that Morphing Grid thing General McKnight told us about..._ Ernie thought.

Sighing, Ernie grabbed the float. "Ya' know what? I might actually be able to help ya', Tommy."

"Really!?" Tommy exclaimed in amazement.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't you worry about a thing," Ernie said with a smile before telling Tommy to head to school.

Heading to the back room where Kaplan's secret office was, Ernie pulled out his communication device. "Hello? This is Agent Finestein. I need to speak with our clean up crew. There was some incident that was important to Alphabet Soup that needs to be taken care of ASAP. It involves a float for the upcoming parade..."

 _. . ._

Tommy walked into the Youth Center, Kim at his side. Ernie had told him about how everything turned out perfectly. He was happy to see the look on Kimberly's face once she laid eyes on the float. Ernie was anxious as well.

The payoff was fantastic. Kimberly was ecstatic upon seeing her float and upon Ernie's request Tommy took all the credit. During the festivities and celebration at the Youth Center Tommy gave Ernie a wink, thanking him once again for his help. All the while Ernie knew not that he was being watched from General McKnight's office.

"See? Just like with that statue in Angel Grove Park," Richie Mendoza stated with anger.

McKnight looked at the monitor in disappointment. "He's a good agent, but he has indeed been compromised. Agent Mendoza? Watch him like a hawk. I need you to register every little thing he does. The more evidence we have against him the better. I hate to say this, but... I think I am going to need to take all the evidence you can find on Agent Finestein and report it all to Rex."

"Sir, yes sir." Richie stated as he turned to leave the room, a smile on his face.

 _I promise I am going to tear everyone in my path apart so that I can climb my way to the top of Alphabet Soup like I_ _deserve to be_ _._ Richie thought to himself. _They won't make me Red Ranger? I'll make sure to get every last person in this department demoted beneath me until I can make_ _myself_ _the government's Red Ranger. I've worked too hard not to get what I deserve. And Ernie is the first in my sights..._

 _. . ._

 ** _Universe M54331Z-B2_**

Billy-2 fell onto his back as the Power Coin he was working on sparked and threw him flying away from it. Curling his lip in irritation, he pulled himself back up onto his feet and habitually patted himself down as if he were dusting himself off. Realizing that in the White Morphing Energy filled Power Chamber there _was no dust to have gotten on his person_ , he shrugged and trudged back over to the Power Coin. Grabbing the hand device provided by Zordon-2, Billy-2 continued using the device to encode the nanites into the coin to allow it to interface with the Power Morpher Zordon-2 had shown to Billy-2.

"How much longer, Zordon?" Billy-2 asked.

"According to my scans, it shouldn't be too much longer," Zordon-2 stated, looking at the graphs on the "screen" of his hologram of the Power Chamber.

Billy-2 then glanced at the lone piece of furniture that could be seen in the room. On it was the suit of what Zordon-2 had explained to him would be the new White Tiger Power Ranger. Zordon-2 explained to Billy-2 that he had schematics for the power for quite some time, but was only going to go through with getting it operational if there _needed_ to be an escalation of the battle. Goldar-2's Green Ranger and the newly dubbed Monster known as the Ranger Hunter prompted Zordon-2 to re-evaluate their tactics and see if the White Ranger was needed. Indeed, he had realized, it was.

"So... who will be the new White Ranger?" Bill asked, trying to sound off the cuff. Deep inside, due to all the work he was putting into the project, he was hoping _he_ would be the one chosen to take up the mantle of the new powerful ally.

"The candidate has been chosen, Billy," Zordon-2 stated.

"It should've been Billy..." Saba-2 muttered under his breath, standing next to Zordon-2 in the Time Warp.

"Oh?" Billy-2 asked, not giving up Hope.

The look on Billy-2's face was one Zordon-2 knew all too well. It was the same look Burai had given "him" back when they were in Research and Development in the Alliance. Burai had wanted to be a Morphing Master, and he truly deserved and _should have_ been the one chosen had it not been for The Guardian and his crew tampering with the strings of Time. That was made evident to Zordon-2 in retrospect, for he often thought of Burai and worried for his well-being, trapped as a prisoner of Deviot's in his horrid Bio Mech team. Doc had been placed in charge of the hunt for the Bio Mech Power Rangers, and outside of them appearing in battles for the United Alliance of Evil for moments to help tip the scales in favor of Dark Specter, they were invisible in the ocean of the universe.

Realizing he'd let his mind wander in thoughts of Burai, Zordon-2 focused back on Billy-2. "Billy? You are an exemplary ranger. This team would be _nothing_ without you. I feel deep in my heart that your time will come."

"What do you mean?" Billy-2 asked, feigning ignorance of his own feelings.

Zordon-2 smiled. "I must be off in my thoughts of your feelings. My apologies. But... if for any reason you _are_ feeling as if you wished you could don the new powers, just remember that everyone has a place in this fight. This is your place now, but in the future the Order of Meledon prompts me that your place in this fight is one that is... _exceptionally_ important."

Hiding a smile as he continued waving the machine with precision over the Power Coin, Billy-2 nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Is that true?" Saba-2 asked, cocking an eyebrow up. "Or are you just pandering to both him _and_ me?"

Zordon-2 turned to Saba-2 and patted him on the head. "It's very true. I mean the only reason we were able to get this project done so quickly is because of _him_. Without him it would've taken much l longer, I believe. When I thought of him and his future, Saba, I suddenly had this overwhelming feeling of peace as I said it. Billy is destined for something truly great."

"Now, is that _our_ Billy, or the one from who this Billy stemmed?" Saba-2 asked, his genius mind branching out past what was readily apparent.

Zordon-2 thought for a moment before replying. "Both, my friend. They are both important and... and I feel very strongly that their lives will be entwined one with the other. They will both be remembered as legends."

 _. . ._

The Thunder Power Rangers yelled in pain simultaneously as they were thrown back by Ranger Hunter-2. For the second time in just as many days the Monster reared its ugly head once again and the Power Rangers had run to meet the beast. What made the rangers frustrated was that it wasn't Zordon-2 who had alerted them to Ranger Hunter-2's presence, but a report on the news.

As Red Dragon Ranger pulled himself up, he shook his head. "Where is Billy!?"

"I think he's still with Zordon..." Yellow Griffin replied, trying to shake off the concussion she had just received.

"This is ridiculous!" Pink Firebird said with disgust as she rushed ahead to attack again. "They can't just abandon us like this!"

Pushing forward as well alongside Green Lion, Red Dragon agreed. "Zordon can't vanish without telling us where he went! That's _not_ how he should lead this team!"

Green Lion scoffed as he blocked a punch from Ranger Hunter-2. "Dude, he's no leader. He's just a floating head. Man... _you're_ our leader. No one else!"

Red Dragon Ranger let that sink in as he ducked a punch and landed a kick on Ranger Hunter-2's thigh. It made sense to him. In the end, who was it who called most of the shots in the field? It wasn't Zordon-2. It was _him_. And the more he thought about it, the more he found that perhaps the team had outgrown Zordon-2...

"Sorry I'm late!" Blue Unicorn declared, rushing in and kicking Ranger Hunter-2 in the head and causing him to fall back due to the sudden attack.

Rushing over to Blue Unicorn, Red Dragon poked Blue in the helmet with his index finger. "Where _were_ you!?"

"I was still with Zordon," He said, feeling threatened. "I... We didn't know there was an attack... we were cut off from-"

"Shut up!" Red Dragon said with a curl of anger in his lip, pushing Blue Ranger in the chest. "Are you on this team or not!?"

"I will destroy you all!" Ranger Hunter-2 declared as he regained his composure.

"We're in the middle of something!" Roared Pink Firebird.

"Yeah! Wait your turn!" Green Lion agreed.

"Huh?" Ranger Hunter-2 asked in confusion.

"Yes, I am!" Blue Unicorn insisted, ignoring the Monster. "I was doing something that will help us! We have a new teammate!"

"What!?" The four who knew not of the White Ranger gasped.

"Who!? How!?" Jase demanded, curious yet frustrated he was out of the loop as team leader.

"Me! Zip-dooyah!" A voice said from the sky.

"Rangers," Zordon-2's voice said via their comm links in their helmets. "Welcome to the team your newest ally: the White Ranger! His power comes from the pure power of the forces of good and is your newest weapon against the forces of evil!"

"Next time let me know beforehand," Was the only thing Red Dragon Ranger said before walking over to the White Ranger who landed next to them.

"This is the reason Zordon _abandoned_ us? He better be worth it..." Pink Firebird stated with contempt.

White Ranger extended out his hand, eager to be accepted. "It's an honor to be on the team. I just met Zordon and he gave me a short briefing of the situation."

"Listen here, whoever you are..." Red Dragon said after he waved the rest of the team off to fight Ranger Hunter-2. "I'm the team leader. You do as I say and we won't have any problems. Got it?"

"Uh... yeah, I guess," White Ranger-2 replied, confused about the antagonistic nature Jase was approaching him.

"You _guess_? Or you _understand_?" Red Dragon asked as he jabbed his finger into the chest piece of the rookie ranger.

"I undestand! Sheesh!" White Tiger-2 said, frustrated.

"Then get in there and show me what you got!" Red Dragon ordered, taking a step back to monitor the new ranger.

Pulling out his sword (based off of Zordon's weapon of choice as the Meledon Ranger), White Tiger-2 looked at it. "Okay! Zordon told me you will guide me."

Concentrating through the tech Alpha 5-2 had helped make before his untimely demise, Saba-2 tapped out of the Time Warp and projected his consciousness into the saber. It had been _eons_ since he had seen the outside world, where he belonged. Even though it was through the circuitry and programming of the saber, Saba-2 was ecstatic to once again be out of the Time Warp.

"Ready when you are, Tommy!" Saba-2 declared.

"Zip-dooyah!" White Tiger-2 yelled as he rushed into battle.

"Tommy!?" Red Dragon Ranger spat. "That kid he tried to take my champion title away from me!? Ha! This should be good..."

From atop a building nearby, Green Dragon Ranger-2 watched as he gripped his Dragon Dagger. _Okay... A new Power Ranger, huh? Well I guess it's time to escalate the battle for_ _my_ _team. I'm going down there to put the beat down on that new White Ranger. There's no way the White Ranger will stand any chance against the powers of me, the Green Ranger!_

 _. . ._

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Dr. Kaplan sat in his office, overlooking his recent file on Bulkmeier and Skullovitch. The drugs he had begun to give them, new and improved, seemed to be helping quite a bit. Bulk's sense of value was greatly appreciating.

The most recent thing Bulk had done to improve himself and find a new way to have power over people involved getting himself a license as a fighting manager. Normally Bulk would not have had the ability to get one so quickly, but Kaplan saw how hard he had been working and forged some documents to get Bulk a license (thought Bulk knew not about Kaplan's involvement in validating his credentials). Kaplan thought that whatever it was Bulk was doing would be extremely interesting to study for his research into how Alphabet Soup was affecting the teens.

He then looked at the first thing Bulk had done with the license. He had gone to the nearby city of Stone Canyon and placed an ad. It read:

"Tournament on the way! Fighter manager looking for potential clients to train!"

Smiling, Kaplan sent out a message to Richie. It said:

*Take the flyers Bulkmeier recently made and slip them into the backpacks of Rocky DeSantos, Adam Park, and Aisha Campbell*

He nodded to himself with approval as the message was sent. _Just because we can't recruit them as our rangers doesn't' mean we can't get them involved in Alphabet Soup in another way..._


	17. Chapter 17: Life's a Masquerade

**Chapter Seventeen: Life's a Masquerade**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2**_

As the Red Thunder Dragon Ranger ducked a blow from Ranger Hunter-2, he turned back and watched as the newest ranger on his team, the White Thunder Tiger Ranger got parried by Goldar-2 and kicked in the chest.

"Ugh... Hey new kid!" Red Dragon snarled as he blocked a kick from his opponent. "You better be useful if you're gonna be out here!"

Green Lion Ranger nodded as he kicked Ranger Hunter-2 in the back. "You tell him, Jase!"

 _I think you guys mean to say "thank you" for me showing up here to help you all!_ Tommy-2 thought angrily as he blocked Goldar-2's blade, leaving him open to an attack by both the Blue and Yellow Thunder Rangers.

The Pink Firebird Thunder Ranger did a cartwheel, getting into position and unleashing a devastating rainbow kick on Ranger Hunter-2. As the Monster flew back and roared in anger, Pink Ranger did a curtsy and laughed.

"And _that's_ how you beat a Monster up," She said happily.

Meanwhile, the Green Dragon Ranger known as Richie-2 watched from high above a building. Weighing the situation, he nodded slowly before using the communication device in his helmet Finster-2 had installed to speak to Goldar-2.

"Goldar? Make yourself grow. There seems to be bickering among these guys and they are not really taking a liking to this new ranger," Green-2 observed. "I need you to split these guys up. I think splitting up is the best way to destroy these guys. Keep Ranger Hunter-2 active to force the rangers to stay on the ground."

"Finster!?" Goldar-2 roared.

"Yes, my lord?" Finster-2 asked from their newly acquired base, the Command Center.

"Use your new toy to make me grow!" Goldar-2 ordered.

Finster-2 let his hand hover over the button for a moment. A part of him did not want to do it. Over the past few days, more and more feelings of guilt swept through him. He was feeling the need to do something _good_ with his genius, but thousands of years of loyalty to the forces of evil were telling him his duties were meant to stay where they were. Sighing heavily he pushed the button.

Jolts of Morphing Energy flowed through Goldar-2. He suddenly found himself as tall as a building, just as tall as Rita's Magic had once been able to make him. Laughing, he started destroying the buildings around him.

Jase curled his lip in anger behind his visor at the sight. He looked around, seeing the Ranger Hunter-2 still active. He made a quick decision right then and there as to what the best move should be.

"Tommy!?" Jase yelled. "Show us what you got! Summon your zord and take on Goldar! We'll stay down here and tackle this Monster."

"But he's new!" Billy-2 argued. "He has to have some backup before going up against _Goldar_!"

"Shut up, Billy!" Kim-2 roared, pushing him. "You have no place to tell Jase what to do!"

"Now, Tommy!" Jase screamed. "Earn your place on this team!"

"How do I call my zord?" Tommy-2 asked, looking to his enchanted saber.

Transmitting from the Time Warp-2, Saba-2 spoke through the weapon. "Just call out for Tigerzord power!"

"I need Tigerzord power! Now!" Tommy-2 declared.

In a flash of lightning, the White Tigerzord barreled onto the scene. Clenching his jaw, White Tiger Thunder Ranger leapt up and onto the Tigerzord. His heart was beating at one hundred miles per hour as he felt the Tigerzord's feet crunching the concrete below it. The rocking of the zord felt nearly like an earthquake to him. He had to focus with all his might to keep himself steady and not fall over.

"Let us go into the cockpit, shall we?" Saba-2 hinted at his new companion.

"Right... right!" Tommy-2 answered, feeling his morpher feed him the info to where the cockpit was.

Turning around, he saw a slot on the zord's head and leapt in. Instinct flowed through him from his morpher as he called on his zord to become a humanoid fighter, sticking Saba-2 into a slot and activating the new mode.

As Goldar-2 chucked a fireball at the transforming Tigerzord, the Thunder Power Rangers continued battling the Ranger Hunter-2. They were shocked to find him to be such a threat. Trini-2 was exhausted as she was gut punched, causing her to fall to the floor.

"Loser! Get up!" Kim-2 shrieked.

"We can't have weakness here! Get up, Trini!" Zack-2 agreed.

"Okay... okay..." Trini-2 coughed, trying to stand.

Smiling at that, the Green Ranger-2 looked to see Goldar-2 struggling to keep up with the speed of the Tigerzord in Warrior Mode. Thinking quickly, he reached out to both Ranger Hunter-2 and Goldar-2.

"Retreat," Richie-2 said calmly.

"What!?" Ranger Hunter-2 cried out, blocking a blow from both Jase and Billy-2.

"Why!?" Goldar-2 demanded.

"Because I've just noticed something about this team." Richie-2 stated, gripping his Dragon Dagger. "Something I think we can use to our advantage. Trust me, this will be good."

"Fine. Retreat!" Goldar-2 said as he disappeared in a burst of flames.

"Next time, rangers..." Ranger Hunter-2 said as he vanished in a blinding light of Morphing Energy.

Jase narrowed his eyes as he looked around. "Weird... they weren't losing, so why did they retreat?"

"Forget about it, man!" Zack-2 proclaimed happily. "We won!"

"I agree with Jase. This is pretty odd behavior." Billy-2 said as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Everyone? Get some rest. We'll meet up bright and early tomorrow morning for training." Jase said, trying to shake the feeling that something he couldn't see was happening.

At that moment, the White Tiger Ranger landed before them. "It's an honor to be working with you guys. I-"

"I said we'll meet tomorrow," Jase interrupted. "Now go do whatever it is people like you do."

At that Jase, Kim-2, and Zack-2 teleported out. As Trini-2 and Billy-2 approached Tommy-2 to welcome him to the team and try to help Tommy-2 forget about his less than stellar welcome from the rest of their teammates, Richie-2 laughed from his place above them.

"This is gonna be good. Once I divide this team, the world will be _mine_ for the taking!" Green Dragon Ranger-2 declared as he teleported back to the Command Center in a green cloud of Morphing Energy.

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Kimberly sighed heavily as she sat down. There were candles lit all around the restaurant, obviously meant to help bring about romantic feelings. She found it odd that she was invited to such an intimate setting with her mother and soon to be stepdad, but she did know that her mother had been wanting to spend more time with her and figured that it may have been the reason for her to be the third wheel for that night.

 _This is soooo awkward._ Kimberly thought as she watched Uncle Steve pull the seat back for her mother. _I wish I'd had thought to bring Tommy with me..._

"So, how was school today?" Ms. Hart asked, looking over to Kimberly.

"Good, good." Kim said, plastering a smile on her face.

"Have you given any consideration to re-joining the cheerleading squad?" Steve asked, smiling himself.

"Uh... no? No, I really haven't," Kim answered, a little confused.

"Well, ever since Claire Bennet moved away after her traumatic experience a few weeks ago... there is a spot open on the team." Ms. Hart said, breaking off a piece of a breadstick in the middle of the table and placing it on her side dish.

"'Traumatic experience'? She was shot and almost _died_ ," Kim stated. "And I feel like it'd be weird if I jumped in to take her place. It just seems like bad timing, ya' know?"

"Well, what about basketball?" Steve further pressed. "Aren't you interested in anything like that? Or starting to train at a more serious level with your gymnastics?"

"I'm sorry... what's going on here?" Kim asked, showing a puzzled look on her face. "What's with the sudden need to invite me to do stuff? Hehehe..."

"Well, Honey, I realize that ever since the divorce that I've been distant," Ms. Hart revealed. "Especially this year starting your Sophomore year at school and getting your driver's license, this should've been big for you but I've been... _pre-occupied_ with my relationship with Steven."

"And I feel so guilty about that," Steve said. "A girl needs her mother, especially at this time of life."

"We've noticed how you have been spending a lot of time out recently," Ms. Hart further explained. "We want you to get back into the swing of things. You were voted to be Captain of the Cheerleading team, Honey! I don't want you to regret not being involved in things during this time of your life!"

"Whoa, whoa... is this an intervention!?" Kim asked, appalled. "I can't believe this! I have _friends_ , you know? I'm _happy_ right now! I'm like one of the _most_ involved kids at my school! Don't you see how many service projects I'm in!? Or my GPA!?"

"We're just worried about you is all." Ms. Hart answered, placing a hand on Kim's. "And yes you're losing yourself in service, but... but what about _you_? What are you going to do for _yourself_?"

"Mom, I'm fine. Really!" Kim said, trying to smile through her annoyance.

"Well... we think maybe moving from Angel Grove would be something to help you get back into the swing of things," Uncle Steve suddenly said.

"What!?" Kim yelped as she pulled her hand away from her mother. "No... No! I have a life here!"

"Honey, please listen-" Ms. Hart started.

"You can't do this!" Kim yelled as she jumped up and stormed off.

Ms. Hart raised an eyebrow and looked to Uncle Steve. "Really? You don't think you could've been a little more gentle with that piece of news."

Uncle Steve seemed to force himself to blush and looked down sheephishly. "Sorry. I'll go get her."

Standing up, Steve made his way in the direction Kim ran off. He stepped out of the restaurant and slipped into the alley lining the side of the building. He pulled out his pocket device and began speaking into it.

"Agent S reporting in."

"This is Agent Chen. What is your target's status?"

"I have presented her jarring information that would potentially stop her from fulfilling the duties she currently has as a 'Power Ranger'. The ball is now rolling for her to learn how to be independent and fight for her values. According to my calculations this event will help her build a strong attitude which will help us use her in the future plans of the Traveler."

"Excellent work, Agent S. We await your future reports."

"One question. How is the event currently being dealt with?"

An audible sigh of frustration was heard coming from Chen at that question. "The Interferers have dealt a large blow to the holding facility and they were nearly able to break in. The Traveler believes that the Interferers are being helped by the Zordon from the original Timeline of the universe you have been assigned to."

Agent S pursed his lips. "So he is after Trinity."

"That is exactly what we all believe here."

"I sense Zordon having been caught up with the Interferers was more than just chance... but there is something I can't quite understand surrounding this event," Agent S stated, focusing.

"Your ability to feel the Temporal Energy of the multiverse has truly increased since you were brought into the fold of the Freelancers," Agent Chen replied, sounding impressed. "The Traveler has also felt this presence, but he does not know from where it comes."

"The Supreme?"

"Perhaps. Or that new man with the lightsaber. Or someone else entirely. The multiverse is quite large and the possibilities are becoming endless thanks to September."

"Thank you for the updates, Agent Chen."

"This is Chen, over and out."

Turning around, Agent S made his way across the street. Following his intuition apparently, he looked in a building and saw Kimberly sitting inside, staring at a wall as she sat in some sort of waiting room. The building was an executive office, dealing in what seemed like real estate. As Agent S made his way inside, he saw Kimberly tell a questioning receptionist that all was well and wasn't needing any help.

"Kim, dear?" Steve asked.

"What is it?" Kim replied, showing her frustration.

"Sometimes people don't know what's actually going on in someone's life," Steve said. "Your mother brought to my concern how you keep disappearing and she is worried about you. Maybe if you show her your conviction about staying here... giving her a _reason_... maybe then she will change her mind?"

Kim furrowed her brow. "You're trying to help me?"

"I told you, Kim. I'm here to be your friend." Steve said as he sat down next to her. "I understand your mom's point of view, but I also _want_ to understand yours. There's two sides to every story."

 _Yeah..._ Kim thought. _Like how I'm actually a spandex wearing superhero who fights evil space aliens._

"Well, there's a guy..." Kim stated, hoping she could divert the situation to at least admit to her real life crush.

Steve smiled widely. "Oh, dear. I think I understand everything now. But if you want to change your mom's mind you're gonna have to show some conviction. Show her you care and stand up for yourself."

Resting her head on Agent S' shoulder, Kim sighed. "You're the best. Thank you."

Kim sat in silence as she mulled over what Steve told her. She felt her bond with him was growing deeper and deeper. Unfortunately for her, she knew not who he really was. How he was just a soldier in a war bigger than anything she could imagine. That he was masquerading himself as a loving father figure, and how he was slowly leading Kim down what was probably a very, very dangerous path.

. . .

Goldar watched as Rita brought to Finster the first of what she was calling "Super Putty". She had been very secretive about the nature of the clay component she had found on Earth, but was certain that it would be the best course for them to increase their arsenal.

 _I have to let the other me know about this..._ Goldar thought as Finster began to use it to sculpt. _If he knows about it then he can use it to take down those new Power Rangers he has to deal with..._

As Rita had Finster finish creating what they had called the Frankenstein Monster (inspired by the Monster Finster had recently found out about while researching Human history), using Super Putty on the Monster, Goldar slipped into the Dark Dimension. He grabbed the Time Device and recorded a message for his Temporal Twin.

"Er... Goldar!" Goldar stated. "This is... uh... Goldar! On Earth at the coordinates I punched into this device is a reserve of special clay Rita is calling Super Putty. Look into it! It could help!"

. . .

Adam Park walked into his classroom at Stone Canyon High, slipping into his seat next to Adam and Aisha. He pulled out the flyer Richie had left at his door that was made by Bulk and Skull.

"Have you seen this!?" Adam asked excitedly.

Aisha nodded sadly. "Yeah, I got one. I wish I could go but I have to visit my grandma this weekend."

"Dude, I got one, too!" Rocky stated with the same level of enthusiasm as Adam.

"You wanna try out, then? I mean... we could win the championships easily!" Adam said, a smile on his face.

Aisha furrowed her brow. "That's _not_ how we're supposed to use our Ninja training, Adam. Talk some sense into him, Rocky!"

Rocky grinned. "We're no longer Ninjas, Aisha. It's been a _year_ since we left Blue Bay Harbor."

"Yeah, Aisha. It's not like we even learned any of the cool stuff like being able to walk on water or float in the air like Sensei Watanabe," Adam stated. "Our parents didn't want to have us continue in the program and we came back here."

"And with that, we're not bound by any conditions not to use what we learned!" Rocky stated happily.

Aisha rolled her eyes. "Whatever then. Just don't do anything stupid."

As their teacher walked into class, Adam turned to Rocky. "So, you in?"

"Oh, yeah!" He said as he looked at his own flyer again. "Today after school, I'm going to call this 'Bulkmeier' guy and schedule for us to meet him and do a tryout for his Ninja duo!"

. . .

Dr. Kaplan sat in the back of the Juice Bar. The Halloween party was underway and it was a great opportunity for Kaplan to study the youth involved in Alphabet Soup's Angel Grove High operation. As he sat at his desk watching, he was stunned to see a high amount of Morphing Energy appear in the room.

"What is this!?" Kaplan gasped.

Following his scanners and overlaying them on his surveillance footage, Kaplan found one of the party's attendants in the room. It was none other than Alpha 5.

"I have to get him!" Kaplan proclaimed. "Whoever that is, they have more Morphing Energy in them than any one of the Power Rangers!"

As he sat there, drooling over Alpha 5, Kaplan missed an important event which would have probably been much more important for his research: the Frankenstein Monster had entered the party. He missed his interactions with the the Monster chasing Bulk and Skull out of the party. The only person who really had noticed anything amiss was Billy, appropriately dressed as Sherlock Holmes.

Within a few moments, Billy returned. Kaplan overheard the conversation he had with the teens and sat in his seat, disappointed, as they left with Alpha 5. He had desperately wanted to find out who Alpha was and see what he could learn about the massive amounts of power he had in him.

"I must find out who that kid was!" Kaplan declared before pushing a button on his comm device. "Richie!? Drop whatever you're doing and get over here now! I have an idea..."

. . .

Tommy sighed as he left his house. He knew his friends were expecting him at the party, and that they expected him to have a costume. He had honestly tried to get his costume up and running, but there was _something_ that kept weighing him down. The _memories_ of what he'd done as Rita's Green Ranger. And not only the memories, but that _voice_ that kept egging him on.

You are a fool, Tommy! The voice would say from time to time. You think your team will ever accept you!? You tried to destroy them! They _hate_ you and are only _using_ you as a weapon!

Tommy curled his lip in anger, trying to ignore what he thought was a figment of his imagination. Little did he know, it wasn't. The entity which had possessed him was actually speaking to him. It was trying to bring him down as a bit of revenge toward him.

Soon, Tommy... soon you will fall! The voice declared. And no one will be there for you when you do. You will be alone, forever, thanks to your own weakness!

Tommy was lost in thought as he made his way to the Youth Center. Before he could enter the building, however, a squadron of Putties appeared to fight him.

Sighing, Tommy looked at them, ready to fight. "Man, I don't need these party crashers..."

. . .

Angela Fairweather sat and looked at her two new teammates. It was the following day, immediately after her encounter with King Aradon's newest creation, Spider Cyborg. They had been asked to rest and await a briefing. After a rather restless night trying to sleep in the massive jetplane, Angela found herself sitting next to Isamu Takenaka at a conference table in the jet, while across from the two of them was Captain Bill Mitchell and the other member of their team, Thomas Arusei.

Thomas smiled as he looked to Mitchell. "I am so grateful to be here, fighting to save the world."

"So... how were we picked?" Isamu asked, looking around nervously.

Overhearing from the hallway leading to the cockpit, Mike Corbett peaked into the room. "Oh, well that's classified stuff there. Just suffice it to say that you fit our profile."

 _Very classifed_ _, apparently..._ Captain Mitchell thought, looking over to Mr. Arusei. The fact that his was the only file who he didn't have access to by request of GA Rex left Mitchell feeling uneasy.

"What I would like to know is... what was that big machine? Where did it come from?" Thomas asked.

Isamu nodded. "That's a great question!"

"The world is being invaded by aliens," Mitchell stated bluntly. "And you three have been recruited to help bring them down with these super powers you used yesterday."

"I like Isamu's question," Mr. Arusei stated. "Why us? Why not trained professionals?"

"Because you fit a profile," Mitchell stated once again. "I'm sorry, but it really boils down to that."

"And that has to do with us all being from different countries? The other two as well?" Isamu asked.

"How did you know about the other two members of your team?" Captain Mitchell asked, puzzled.

Mike Corbett smirked. "Isamu and I were getting to know each other yesterday. I told him about Aleksei and Marius."

Angela decided to speak up at that. "One of the reasons this team is... _diverse_ is to help our way of thinking. If we are able to learn from each other and the different ways we may do things, coming from different cultures, we will be better for it. The more perspective we can get, the more we will be able to come at difficult situations our enemy might throw at us."

"And that enemy is a space alien?" Mr. Arusei asked with a doubtful look on his face.

"Yes," Captain Mitchell replied. "An empire of machines. They are a wickedly deadly threat against our species. They have enhanced armor and are extremely intelligent."

"Why only a team of five? Why not hundreds?" Isamu asked.

"That's actually a very good question... why only five?" Angela agreed.

"It has something to do with the source of your powers. It's called the Morphing Grid. I'm not quite sure why, but GA Rex has found that the more people there are in a team the harder it is to keep the powers stable or something like that," Dr. Harlen stated, chiming in from his computer in the corner of the room.

"Okay, well I guess that's that." Isamu stated with a shrug.

"So what is next?" Mr. Arusei asked, smiling as he looked to Captain Mitchell.

"Next we stop in Russia to pick up our next ranger," Captain Mitchell stated. "We are going to get Aleksei Evdokimov."

. . .

Everything had progressed as they normally did for the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: the main five rangers battled the Monster until Rita made him grow. The rangers found themselves unable to defeat the Monster and at the last moment the Green Ranger came in and used the Dragonzord to help save the day. Afterward, the Power Teens returned to the party at the Youth Center to celebrate their success. Much to Kaplan's happiness, the mysterious (to him) Alpha 5 joined them at the party.

"Exactly as I had hoped!" Kaplan exclaimed, handing the "special" device to Richie.

"And what am I doing again?" Richie asked.

"You're to give that ribbon to Ernie. Tell him that I need him to announce that whoever the person in the metal costume is has to be named as the winner of the costume contest," Kaplan explained. "In that ribbon is a tracking device. It will help lead us to find out _exactly_ where the rangers' base is!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Richie said as he took the booby-trapped item.

 _And while you idiots do whatever it is you're doing, I'll use this info of where their base is for myself._ Richie thought with a smile as he stepped out from behind the Juice Bar to head over to Ernie. _I_ _will_ _become a Power Ranger. And this is gonna help me get there._

. . .

 ** _Universe M54331Z-B2_**

Richie-2 stepped into the room. He smiled as he looked at what used to be Alphabet Soup's think tank scrambling about. They were no longer working for the machinations of GA Rex-2 (who had mysteriously not tried to attack Richie-2 after he usurped Alphabet Soup from the late General McKnight-2), but they had become pawns under Richie-2's devious plans.

He approached the young child who had become his go to resource in the group - Rose-2. "How are things progressing?"

The young girl with the intellect of a genius level college student looked up to Richie-2 with disdain in her eyes. She didn't want to tell him anything that would help his malicious campaign, but she had seen what Richie-2 had been capable of. She knew he had once been an assassin for General McKnight-2 and she had heard of the rumors of the failed lieutenants disappearances in the few days since Richie-2 had taken over. Wanting to stick around for the long haul to find a way to topple Richie-2 and find her freedom, Rose-2 decided that moment was not the time to pick a fight with the man who had her life in his hands. She let out a long, defeated sigh and answered his question.

"I have used the algorithms and I have found some files in Dr. Harlen's computers that seem to have found a match to these new powers," Rose-2 announced.

Richie-2 smirked. "Oh, Dr. Harlen... the man was an idiot, but a genius. What info can you pick out of his research?"

"Well... he had some files on the energy frequency that matches these powers and they were labeled under 'Thunder'," Rose-2 revealed. "He had prototypes he was designing for two people here at Alphabet Soup named Blake and Hunter. They were quite far from being completed, though. Years, really."

"Can you speed it along?" Richie-2 asked, a devious look appearing on his face.

Rose-2 sighed. "Yes... yes I can. Especially studying how this 'Thunder' power interacts with the Power Rangers' morphers, I can definitely get these up and running."

"And you said there were two morphers, right? One for this Blake kid and one for Hunter?" Richie-2 asked.

Rose-2 nodded. As she did, she noted how the grin on Richie-2's face seemed to grow impossibly wider. It made her feel extremely uneasy. He insides turned to ice as Richie-2 let out a low cackle.

"Well, I have a little bit of a plan for these morphers..." Richie-2 stated. "Make a third morpher. I've been watching the Power Geeks and I think my plan should work out just fine. Soon I'll have my own set of Thunder Power Rangers."

Rose-2 nodded sadly as she turned to her computer. She pulled up the file on the Thunder powers Harlen had been working on. She saw one morpher labeled Crimson, and another labeled Navy. Going through his research quickly she found the next available tap to the Morphing Grid that Harlen had started looking into to converge with the mysterious powers of Thunder. Finding it, she opened a new file in the folder of "Thunder" and placed it next to the prototypes for the Crimson and Navy morphers. She then typed in a label for the new morpher: Saffron.


	18. Chapter 18: Gung Ho!

**Chapter Eighteen: Gung Ho!**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Trini-2 sat at the spot where her team used to sit before they had a "parting of ways". Ever since what Trini-2 had learned to be a mysterious event which created the divergent Timeline she found herself in, she felt very alone. Jase, Kim-2, and Zack-2 had become cold, distant, and mean. They were abusive with their language and it was bringing Trini-2 down. She felt as if she was no longer a member of the team and more like just a pawn in Jase's game to defeat Rita-2 (who the Power Rangers knew not had been murdered by Goldar-2 at the beginning of the new Timeline).

What further pressed upon Trini-2's mind was the promise she had been given by a mysterious entity she only knew as the Hooded Man. He had promised her that he would come back and train her after a "certain event" had transpired. She didn't know, however, that the event the Hooded Man spoke of was in fact the splitting of the Timeline. She didn't know that it was the person from whom she inherited her life, the Trini from Timeline B-1, who was the Hooded Man's chosen warrior. All she knew was that he had told "her" (based on the memories she kept from her Temporal Twin) that he would begin to train her so that she could see her brother, Li, once again. To bring him back to the land of the living.

 _Li... I held you in my hands for a moment, but that moment seemed to last forever! I must get you back..._ Trini-2 thought sadly as she sat at her table, pretending to read a textbook for one of her classes.

As she thought upon the time the Hooded Man had caused, for a brief moment, Li to appear in her arms she remembered something he had said: " _I will come to you again... once Time splits. I do not wish to create a paradox, or another me. I am seeing right now my mistake in coming to you so early._ "

 _Wait... no!_ Trini-2 thought, panic suddenly filling her. _No, no! Does that mean he chose between me and... the other me!? No! Li!_

"Is everything okay, Trini?" Ernie-2 asked, suddenly walking toward her and breaking her depressed train of thought.

"Oh... yeah, yeah... just fine..." Trini-2 replied, trying to convince Ernie-2 just as much as herself.

"Alright, Trini. Just let me know if there is something I can do to help." Ernie-2 stated, grabbing her empty smoothie glass and heading to the back room.

Upon entering, Ernie-2 saw Kaplan-2 sitting at his surveillance desk, just staring at a wall. Coughing slightly, Ernie-2 approached Kaplan-2.

"You okay, doc?" Ernie-2 asked.

Kaplan-2 sighed. "Isn't it weird how things have turned out? We were once running a government experiment on all these kids, and all of a sudden it's now being run by evil space aliens and our former 'special agent', Richie. It's strange how everything can change from one day to the next... almost as if _everything_ changed..."

"I'm not following?" Ernie-2 stated, confused.

"I don't know... it's just... things seem so different. The day Applebee died... It seems like starting on that day heading onward everything just changed so much. Became so _dark_ ," Kaplan-2 stated, not realizing he was one of the select few who could intuitively feel the change in the Timeline.

"I guess you're right... her passing sure was an omen for things to come..." Ernie-2 stated.

"We have to do something about it," Kaplan-2 suddenly said, his face looking like he had abruptly awoken from a long slumber. "We have to fight back. We can't let Richie turn Alphabet Soup into his own personal reservoir of power."

"How!?" Ernie-2 asked, confused.

"Our old friend from before we were stationed in Angel Grove," Kaplan-2 stated, his mind racing with ideas. "Agent Spencer... yes! We can get him to help us!"

"Spencer was an amazing agent, but he's currently on assignment on that Hartford guy," Ernie-2 replied. "How can he help?"

"You and I both know what Spencer is capable of," Kaplan-2 stated. "And we're burned when it comes to SHIELD. Richie cut us off from them and there's no way we can get any message out to Commander Fury. Spencer can help us take Alphabet Soup back from the _inside_ , hopefully weakening it before SHIELD inevitably comes in and confronts Richie."

"You know what? That's a good point. I don't know if even Fury would be strong enough with his forces to take on that Green Ranger." Ernie-2 answered, nodding. "Okay, let's do this. Let's get Spencer."

. . .

"What is it?" Goldar-2 asked, staring at Finster-2's newest Monster while standing in the usurped Command Center.

"I call it the Frankenstein Monster," Finster-2 replied. "I have been studying Human history and recently found out about this creature from one of their famous novels. I was inspired to make one of these ever since I read about him!"

"Er... how powerful is he?" Goldar-2 asked, looking the standing Monster up and down.

"Extremely! I used the Super Putty you brought to me! In and of itself that would make him extremely powerful, but with the resources Zordon 'left' for us here, I was able to instill massive amounts of Morphing Energy into him to make him even _more_ powerful!" Finster-2 announced, proud of his work.

 _This is exactly what I'm needing!_ Goldar-2 thought. _I will finally be rid of that fool of a twin I have. I will send Frankenstein Monster to the other Timeline and have him destroy the other me so I won't have to share my glory with him! Ah-hahaha!_

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Dr. Kaplan watched with pride as Bulk and Skull marched into the room. He was proud that they had done so well with getting this money making scheme off the ground, enough to even convince two legitimate fighters to fight for them. As he watched Bulk and Skull confront Tommy Oliver and Jason Scott, the former duo snapped their fingers and called in their own Ninjas: Adam Park and Rocky DeSantos.

Walking in, Adam looked at who his big competition was meant to be. He looked them both up and down while trying to stand by Bulk, to look intimidating. Folding his arms across his chest, he studied them.

 _Okay, the one in green looks extremely agile and the one in red looks like he could knock my head off with a tap of his fist._ Adam thought. _Sheesh, we have our work cut out for us..._

 _We got this... we got this!_ Rocky thought as he looked them up and down. _We're gonna mop the floor with them! Man, I just wish Aisha was here..._

That's when they heard the cue. Bulk told them to meet at the center of the room and to do their "workout". The two met at the center and put on the show of their lives. They did several high class, fancy moves.

As they performed, Jason found himself once again feeling an inferiority complex due to Bulk. The same feelings he had about not being able to beat Bulk's bench press record filled him, and he found himself airing some grievances he had with Tommy from earlier that day, saying that he was able to take on the two Ninjas alone.

Tommy, wanting to show his own masculinity, agreed that he could as well. He was angry at Jason while simultaneously worried about the new Ninjas in the Youth Center. He was angry that Jason for whatever reason was trying to show him up. Several times during their training for the Team Ninja Championships (which Jason had asked Tommy to be a part of to begin with), Jason had tried to show Tommy up, saying things like "look what I can do" and "I bet you can't do this!" Jason had been doing so because he was excited about being able to use more of his abilities with a partner he found to be his equal. Tommy, however, was already feeling down on himself from the constant guilt of his previous actions as Rita's evil Ranger, and was quick to prove that he was just as good (if not better) than Jason. Taking Jason's attitude as a sign of challenging Tommy to see which of the two was the better martial artist, Tommy had begun to try and outclass Jason. That in turn led to Jason thinking _Tommy_ was the one wanting to instigate a conflict between them, leaving the two thinking the other had a "problem" with their relationship and where they stood one with the other.

As Rocky and Adam finished their exhibition of their skills (which ended with the unfortunate act of Bulk getting a microconcussion from the punching bag that was swinging about violently), Tommy heard The Voice once again come to him. It was low, dark, and once again playing at his insecurities.

Your time is waning as the Green Ranger, Tommy. Waning down like _wax_. The Voice stated with a hint of glee to it. And you will lose everything. The first of this will be you losing to those two. It will prove to your team that you are _nothing_ , and they will _shun_ you!

Trying to ignore it, Tommy turned and grabbed for his gym bag. As he did, Kimberly walked up to him.

"How are you doing?" Kim asked. "You looked kinda spooked by those two."

"Who? Me!? Ha... I can handle 'em." Tommy said, faking a sincere snicker.

"You sure? You... you don't have to fake with me, you know?" Kim said, brushing her hair out of her face and smiling.

You'll never be happy, Tommy! The Voice roared in his mind.

"Heh... Yeah, I'm good. How about you?" Tommy asked, trying to ignore the raging voice in his mind, thinking it was some sort of psychological effect from his own guilt.

"I'm... I'm okay." Kim said with a shrug. "My mom is being totally crazy right now, thinking that I'm not happy with life here in Angel Grove or something. I dunno. Steve is helping me out, though. I think it'll turn out fine."

"He seems like a great guy. You're lucky to have him come into your life." Tommy said, standing up and giving Kim a hug.

"I'm even more lucky to have _you_ around." Kim said, kissing Tommy on the cheek.

"Ah, shucks." Tommy said, winking. "Anyway, I gotta clear my head for a bit before the fight. I'm gonna head to the locker room before coming back out to practice."

"Okay, well please tell me if you need me, 'kay?" Kim asked, giving him a hug.

"Sounds good, Kim." Tommy said as he headed toward the locker room to clear his head.

No matter how hard you try, Tommy, you will never have true happiness! The Voice cried out. They will never trust you or see you as one of their own! Kim will never truly love you! You will never be a true Power Ranger!

Sighing as he sat on a bench in front of his locker, Tommy began to sob silently.

. . .

In the park near the Youth Center, Adam flipped over Rocky and turned to quickly throw a jab at him. As he did, Rocky did the move Bulk had suggested him to do and went to "sweep Adam's legs". It was an awkward move to try in that situation, what with Adam going for a punch, but Rocky trusted Bulk (not yet knowing how incompetent Bulk and Skull were) and did as he was asked. Adam easily jumped up to avoid the obvious counter-move and tapped Rocky and the top of the head, as if to say he would had been able to hit him had that been a competition or even a real fight.

"Uh... Mr. Bulkmeier?" Rocky asked, standing up and giving Bulk a look of concern. "Are you sure that was the best way to go about that counter move? It... kinda didn't work, really."

"Are _you_ questioning _me_?" Bulk asked, trying to act tough to not lose Rocky and Adam's respect.

"Yeah!" Skull said, jumping in. "Are _you_ questioning _him_?"

"Uh... no... no, I guess not." Rocky said, turning around and walking back toward Adam.

"Are you in any way the least bit concerned?" Adam whispered to Rocky.

"Yeah, but... you know. Maybe he is one of those weird, unorthodox guys. I mean, he showed us his credentials," Rocky stated. "Really he should be just fine helping us, right?"

Adam sighed. "I just hope we're not making a big mistake by trusting these guys."

. . .

Frankenstein Monster-2 slowly crept out from the Dark Dimension. He knew his mission: find Goldar, destroy him, and get back to Timeline B-2 without getting caught. As he snuck through the hallway, though, he was spotted by Squatt and Baboo.

"Hey!" Squatt cried out. "I thought you were destroyed!"

"Huh?" Frankenstein Monster-2 asked, confused and not sure what to do since he had been caught.

"This is great!" Baboo declared. "Come on! We're about to get through another round of Super Putty creations! Finster's on a roll!"

 _Uh-oh..._ Frankenstein Monster-2 thought as they dragged him to Finster's lab.

It was weird for him to see Finster in the lab. He acted differently than the Finster he had known as his "father" from the other Timeline. The Finster before him seemed happier, getting more enjoyment from his work. Finster-2's inner turmoil over working for the United Alliance of Evil was getting to him, and it was obvious to all those around him who bothered to pay attention. Even the half brain-dead Frankenstein Monster-2.

As he stared and watched at the creation of Super Putties, Rita Repulsa came into the room and began proclaiming how amazing the new Putties were. As she did, Goldar spotted Frankenstein Monster-2. He was extremely confused, trying to figure out how he was there after being destroyed (while Rita was so caught up in the moment that it didn't occur to her how odd it was that her previously destroyed Monster was just "hanging out" in the room with them).

"Er... how are you not destroyed!?" Goldar asked the Monster in a whisper.

"You sent me here?" Frankenstein Monster-2 explained, growing confused and wondering if that Goldar was indeed his target or not.

"Oh, I see," Goldar stated.

As Rita began to drool over her Super Putties, Goldar grabbed Frankenstein Monster-2 and snuck him back to the Dark Dimension before anyone could ask any questions. Using the Time Device, he was able to shift to Timeline B-2. Goldar-2 was shocked to not only find his Monster back so soon, but accompanied by the being he had supposed would've been destroyed by that point.

"Er... Goldar!" Goldar-2 cried out in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Goldar looked at his Temporal Twin in confusion. "Why did you send this Monster over to my universe?"

"Oh... I didn't!" Goldar-2 lied. "He must have snuck in here by himself and accidentally used the Time Device."

Goldar furrowed his brow, not trusting his Temporal Twin. "Let's make sure things like this don't happen again."

Goldar-2 was surprised at how assertive Goldar was about the situation. It caused him to swallow hard. He was nervous that Goldar was beginning to suspect foul play, and rightfully so for he was. Chuckling a little, Goldar-2 nodded.

"Right, right. And how are things on your end?" He asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Rita is launching Super Putties against the Power Brats. I really think that they don't have a chance this time!" Goldar proclaimed happily.

"Excellent! Then I will have this Super Putty Monster attack my rangers. I expect us both to meet here later with tales of victory!" Goldar-2 announced, thrusting his sword into the air.

"And then we can focus on dominating not only your universe, but mine as well!" Goldar added, also thrusting his sword into the air.

"Soon the Power Rangers will be no more, and the universe will be ruled by the power of Goldar!"

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

"The Team Ninja Championships..." Jason-2 said with a sneer as he walked into the Youth Center. "What a joke."

"Mentioning jokes, look at amateur hour over there." Zack-2 said with a smile.

Jase looked over and saw Tommy-2 sparring with Billy-2. With every move Tommy-2 made, Billy-2 tried desperately to keep up but every other move was the wrong step. He would trip and either fall on Tommy-2, or just completely mess up the routine.

Kim-2 groaned as she hung off Jase's arm. "Why is he wasting his time with that nerd?"

"No, Kim. This is good. Really." Jase said, nodding in agreement. "Even though this will be a train wreck, working alongside Tommy will help Billy become a better fighter. Without his morpher he's a chump, but if he becomes a better fighter as a civilian than it will make him even more useful as a ranger."

"I didn't know it worked that way..." Zack-2 said as he watched the trainwreck that was Billy-2's attempts to mimic Tommy-2.

As Tommy-2 turned and tried to help Billy-2 go through the motions slowly, Jase nodded again. "Yeah, it's one of the things Zordon taught me in my early morning trainings with him."

"How early do you go to meet him!?" Kim-2 asked in surprise. "Because we've been meeting at five every morning to do our training drills."

"That's actually the same time I used to meet with Zordon," Jase answered. "But ever since we moved to the Power Chamber and this whole Timeline thing happened that I still don't _fully_ understand happened... I don't know. I'm just not in the mood to listen to him anymore. Whenever I look at him I just get irritated."

"Yeah, I hear ya'. He sits safe in his stupid Time Warp telling us what to do and endangering _us_ ," Zack-2 agreed.

That's when their communicators went off. As Jase and his crew scurried to their normal spot to listen to Zordon-2, with Billy-2 and Tommy-2 trailing behind, Trini-2 sighed from her place next to the Juice Bar.

 _Yet another mission... What does it all mean if I can't get Li back?_ She thought. _And we all are just carbon copies of some other universe and... I don't know. Is any of this even real? Worth it? I'm just so confused..._

. . .

 _ **Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Zordon-2 watched from his desert prison as the Mighty Thunder Power Rangers battled Goldar-2's newest threat: Frankenstein Monster-2. It was quite ugly. They were trying with all their might to fight the beast, but the combined Morphing Energy/Super Putty combo was finding itself to be trickier than Zordon-2 expected.

"Saba, I-" Zordon-2 began.

"No, Tommy!" Saba-2 cried out as he stared at his own hologram, floating off to the side in the sky a bit aways from the hologram showing the Power Chamber. "Use my laser eyes!"

 _Ah, right..._ Zordon-2 thought. _I still have to get used to Saba's new role with Tommy..._

Looking at Frankenstein Monster-2, Zordon-2 closed his eyes and began concentrating on the powerful beast. As the Nathadian Scan commenced, the information began to stream through Zordon-2 via the Order of Meledon's gift to him. The Red Magic showed him (in pieces) the chemical composition of the Super Putty followed by images of Finster-2 infusing Frankenstein Monster-2 with Morphing Energy. Then, an image of weapons Zordon had commissioned Alpha 5 to make as the initial concepts of the power of Thunder flashed in his mind. It was the image of the weapons known as the Thunder Slingers.

 _Ah, yes... the first attempt at harnessing Thunder..._ Zordon-2 thought. _I guess there is only one thing left to do according to my scan: retrieve them._

. . .

In a mountain range outside of Angel Grove, protected from satellites and other prying surveillance equipment by technology formed by Zordon, the former citizen of Animaria known as Titanus-2 was parked and staring up into the sky.

The past three thousand years for the massive Dinosaur was a torture for him. He had undergone the procedure Black Lion had demanded all Animal Warriors to have, using Zordon's Transdagger to convert him from a being of flesh and blood to one of metal and wires. He had his doubts about going through with the procedure at the time, for he had been of old age and had not considered himself a fighter. In the end, however, he realized that if he did not stand up for Animaria to defend it from the Orgs and from Deviot, he would regret it for the remainder of his days.

How wrong he was.

Becoming a Wild Zord granted Titanus (and by extension Titanus-2, who was Future: Omega Ranger's subject of interest at that moment) longevity. Longevity which approached immortality. As the years waned, so did Titanus' love of life. He would watch everything around him die and return to the planet. He, however, did not. And with Humans becoming more and more prevalent and dominant throughout the landscape, he secluded himself.

After about two thousand years or so, Titanus could no longer keep his sanity intact. Humans were becoming harder and harder to hide from, and he felt as if he had no one to turn to. He had considered time and time again to go to Zordon to ask him for guidance and help, but every time he remembered how Zordon was the one to have him in that situation to _begin with_ , being the inventor of the foul device known as the Transdagger. Only on the rarest of occasions had Titanus encountered some of his fellow Animals from Animaria but, like him, they had gone into hiding and even hibernation. After trying to find his place in life, he had decided that he was nothing more than a tool to fight evil. Taking the example of his brothers and sisters from Animaria, he had decided to go into hiding, to hibernate. And so he did for nearly one thousand years, picking a lake in the country the Humans had grown accustomed to calling Scotland.

As Titanus-2 sat in the mountain range outside of Angel Grove, contemplating life and his purpose, he felt a strong surge of power near him. He had become wise in the ways of the Morphing Grid over his existence (for before his conversion to machine he had already been quite sensitive to it), and the prolonged lifespan he had been "blessed" with had seen a good chunk of the initial years of that new branch of his life dedicated to honing his sensitivity to the Morphing Grid via meditation and practice. That is how at that moment Titanus-2 not only knew that the surge of power he had felt near him was not there to confront him, but also that it had come from an individual who was known to him.

"Hello, Trueheart," Titanus-2 stated in a deep voice.

Waiting for a few moments for Titanus-2's language to become familiar with him again, Trueheart-2 nodded and smiled. "I can see you are just as sharp as you were when we first met. Hello, Titanus. How are you?"

Titanus-2 sighed as he looked at the man who had pulled him from his hibernation decades earlier. "Frustrated. Sad. Alone."

A stab of guilt hit Trueheart-2 as he heard that statement. It was because of him that Titanus had been awakened. In the early 1930s, Zordon had begun experiments on a new form of energy he had discovered. He was calling it the Power of Thunder. Zordon had been able to find a special type of energy which had before that point not been discovered, caused by the interactions between the Universal Morphing Grid, Universal Dino Energy, and the unusually high amounts of Anti-Lifestream (Sanzu Waters) Earth had (that they knew not was connected to the Alpha Nighlok Serrator. They believed it had to do with the pseudo leader of the Nighlok, Xandred). With the information about the Power of Thunder Zordon had commissioned his assistant, Alpha, to create weapons which were the first known conduits of the Power of Thunder, calling them Thunder Slingers.

The problem Zordon had felt, though, was that the weapons would draw much attention to anyone scanning the planet, for it would be a concentration of energy that the galaxy at large would not have been familiar with and would definitely attract much attention. Zordon needed to protect the Thunder Slingers and ensure they were undiscovered. At first Zordon had considered leaving the weapons in the Command Center, but his allies Doc Goier and Master Gosei advised against it. They believed it would be just one more thing that would cause the forces of evil to attempt to storm the Command Center, invoking memories in both Zordon and Saba of what they had to go through when they had once housed The Evil in the Command Center, with legions of the most powerful Demons in the universe coming to Earth to try and break their way in to get the artifact for themselves.

Knowing that for that express reason they had chosen the loyal leader of the Royal Guard of Animaria, Baskin, to guard The Evil Zordon and Saba had decided to look for a guardian for the Thunder Slingers. With Baskin already in mind, they (along with Gosei and Doc) came to the conclusion that the best possible candidate for the role of guardian would be a former member of the Animal Realm. After scans were made over Earth looking for one powerful enough to be the guardian, Alpha 5 had discovered buried the bottom of the lake known as Loch Ness the Wildzord known as Titanus.

Gosei had then been commissioned to be the one to give the appointment to Titanus. Ever busy trying to maintain his own base which was the hub for one of the most important locations in the universe (where the defense for the Greatest Treasure in the Universe, the Ranger Keys, were being kept), Gosei had then passed the responsibility to another of Zordon's close allies: One of the oldest living members of their universe's first group of Morphing Masters, Trueheart.

Having used his powers, Trueheart had been able to stir Titanus up and cause him to awaken from his slumber. The meeting had been a difficult one, with Titanus refusing to help Zordon due to his bias against him caused by his feelings of hate for the man he blamed for his new existence. They conversed for days on end, Trueheart trying to appeal to Titanus' sense of loyalty to those who were unable to defend themselves. Trueheart had been able to finally convince Titanus by appealing to the being he had been once before, the being who sacrificed himself in the day Deviot had come with the Predazord to destroy Animaria. Being awoken to a sense of his duty, Titanus had put aside his hate and had begrudgingly decided to help Zordon.

That was when he received his mission: he would be the guardian of the Thunder Slingers. Zordon would create a device to mask both the Thunder Slingers and himself from the world at large. The device would be powered directly by Titanus' unique (and rather large, due to his physical size) power combo of both the Morphing Grid and his Dinosaur Animal Spirit. Zordon had been able to see how the Animal Spirit Titanus had (amplified by the fact that he was a Wildzord with thanks to the Transdagger) would interact with his inherent nature as a Dinosaur, helping camouflage the Universal Dino Energy that helped make the Power of Thunder and thus help anyone without the tech to see past Zordon's shield be unable to see it from any earthly or otherworldly scanners.

And thus Titanus' life had become one of being the silent watchman over the Thunder Slingers. Often Trueheart would go to visit Titanus and keep him company. They had become good friends and Trueheart wanted to ensure that Titanus wouldn't be left alone in his duty. Unfortunately the galactic battles had grown difficult and Zordon had Trueheart stay off world to help against the growing threats other systems in the ever dwindling Resistance were facing. Occasional rumblings from the Bio Mech Rangers combined with the constant victories Lord Zedd was having in his campaigns necessitated Trueheart. But, upon seeing the threat the Super Putty had become against the Mighty Thunder Power Rangers, Zordon-2 knew that Trueheart-2 was needed for the task at hand.

"I am so sorry," Trueheart-2 said with much sincerity. "You see, turmoil and chaos are spread far and wide. I was needed these past few Earth years elsewhere..."

Titanus-2 closed his eyes and nodded. "I don't blame you. I blame those who are unable to stop this war. Those who let this infection become embedded in our galaxy to begin with."

"Oh?" Trueheart-2 asked.

Sighing, Titanus-2 continued. "I have had a lot of time to think over things. Meditate on them and focus my connection to the Grid to these matters. I feel very strongly that this boils back down to the Morphing Masters. You have told me much of your days in the first group of Masters. Of Lothor and Regina who became the Demon Queen. I think about the _last_ group of Masters as well. The group who allowed Estro and Ivicar to infiltrate their ranks, the beings now known as Deviot and Ivan Ooze. So much horror has happened in the unviserse from people like them, and they all came from the Morphing Masters."

Trueheart-2 furrowed his brow. "It's not that simple."

"I believe it is. From what we know, Lothor came from another universe. The same universe Zordon came from, according to what he has told you," Titanus-2 stated. "We don't fully understand the origins of the Morphing Masters and how they were created, and even less with Meledon and Amaradon and all these other things which came from the Nathadianverse. My meditations are leaving me with a feeling... a feeling that things were poisoned from the beginning. That the balance between good and evil come from a single point, and that point is the Morphing Masters."

"That point doesn't hold, my friend," Trueheart-2 rebuttaled. "The main evil in the universe is Dark Specter. He was never a Morphing Master."

"There are two things about that statement that I hope to illustrate to you," Titanus-2 answered. "First, Dark Specter was the henchman to Bansheera, the former Morphing Master known as Regina. I sense in him a connection to Novact, the being now known as Darkonda, and we know his traitorous ways are linked back to his hatred of Sentinel Knight's policies in the latter days of the Morphing Master run United Alliance.

"And even then, that is still a stretch but some interesting connections are still seen there. My main thought is that if my feelings are true there is truly one person behind this chaos, and my feelings are that Dark Specter is not the main culprit."

Trueheart-2 looked down. "That is indeed a thought I have had from time to time."

"It isn't a wandering thought. I believe it is _direction_ for us. A prompting. I believe that we need to band together as a Resistance and not focus on Dark Specter but someone else. Someone from the ranks of the Morphing Masters," Titanus-2 revealed.

"What!? So you think Deviot?" Trueheart-2 asked.

"He is a good candidate. But we must see who else there is who yet lives. There is you, supposedly Sentinel Knight, the myth known as Ninjor, Dimitria, Delphine, Gosei, and... _Zordon_ ," Titanus-2 said, putting a hateful bit of emphasis on Zordon-2's name.

"What? Are you insinuating Zordon is behind this?" Trueheart-2 asked angrily.

"Yes. Yes I am," Titanus-2 said simply. "Look at the timing of it all. He comes into the Morphing Masters with high regards from both Ivicar and Estro and from his entrance into the Morphing Masters did the dominos begin to fall. He went from Research and Development to be a _Senior_ member of the Morphing Masters in days, with members of his group dying left and right upon his introduction into the group. Then he miraculously becomes the leading general in the Resistance. Everything culminated in his infamous alliance with none other than one of the Alliance of Evil's main generals, _Rita Repulsa_. Now who would have thought that would work? And that alliance ended with Zordon being put in a protective pocket away from the battle and Rita being put in stasis until just recently. And Rita just so happens to return now, at a time the United Alliance of Evil is becoming more and more of a thing? And Zordon calling the shots from behind a curtain, he himself totally safe? It all points to the same treachery that caused White Genesis and the Final Siege, that caused the fall of the Old Alliance. I submit to you that Zordon is the dark gambit of the UAE."

Trueheart-2 furrowed his brow. "That can't be... he has sacrificed so much-"

"The same could have been said of Lothor, Ivicar, and Estro. Of Bansheera, Xandred, and Novact. All former members of the forces of good who all fell due to their own Greed. Everytime one of them was outed as a villain, we were all shocked. Would it not be a shock for us to find that Zordon is a villain?" Titanus-2 asked. "I only say these things because I am concerned. I can feel the treachery in the air."

"I... I cannot believe this," Trueheart-2 proclaimed. "Please do not speak to me again of such things."

Hoping he had at least planted a seed for Trueheart-2, Titanus-2 nodded. "I will stop for you, my friend."

Trueheart-2 stood in silence for a bit, letting the murmuring in his head die down before continuing with his task that he had been sent to do. He began rationalizing that Titanus-2's theory was biased itself, founded upon his own hate for Zordon-2. Feeling sure of himself again (mostly), Trueheart-2 looked to the massive Dinozord.

"Rita has unleashed a new dreaded Monster the likes of which we have never before seen," He said. "I have come for the Thunder Slingers."

Titanus-2 chuckled. "This thing about not escalating battles and letting the enemy gain the upper hand first seems self-defeating, doesn't it?"

Trueheart-2 looked up in anger. "No, because we _win_ with the tactic."

"Yes, we do win the small battles protecting Zordon's current home, while we are losing the overall war. You are right," Titanus-2 said with loaded words. "Then take the Thunder Slingers. They are the only thing tying me to Zordon anyway."

Before Trueheart-2 faded away into the wind to grab the artifacts, he looked to his friend. "If you believed these things with all your heart, you wouldn't have stayed here guarding the Thunder Slingers for the past six decades. We need you, Titanus. If you can look past your pride, I hope you find it within you to come and fight for us now that your stewardship over the Thunder Slingers has ended..."

As he vanished, Titanus-2 could feel the Thunder Slingers disappear from their place atop a nearby mountain. He exhaled profoundly before turning around slowly. He didn't know to where he was going, but he knew that he was going away from the place he had called home for the past sixty years. He needed time to think about his next move and what his place would be in the war against good and evil.

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

"Aleksei Evdokimov?" Mike Corbett asked, approaching him on the street.

"Yes?" He answered in a heavy Russian accent. "And who are you?"

"I'm Agent Mike Corbett. I'm here because your assignment here is done and you are being relocated."

Aleksei furrowed his brow. "But why? Why now? I have just started a new project to get more intel for Rex and I feel it will be very profitable."

"There is a lot you don't know about what Rex deals with," Mike answered. "Come with me and you will see."

Aleksei then narrowed his eyes at Mike. "How do I know you are telling me the truth?"

"Follow me." Mike said as he motioned for Aleksei to follow him into an alley, moving into the area and looking around to check for people before pulling out his identification. "See? Happy now?"

"You are too young. I do not believe this," Aleksei said, growing angry.

"I'm twenty. That's not too young... right?" Mike stated with a sheepish look on his face.

"Who are you _really_?" Aleksei asked, grabbing Mike by the collar.

"You don't wanna do this, man." Mike said with a smile.

"It is you who put yourself in this situation." Aleksei stated, lifting Mike off his feet.

"Your a _strong_ one... yikes..." Mike said with a smirk. "Let's see how good of a _fighter_ you are, though."

Aleksei found himself involuntarily staggering back. It took him a moment while he recapped the events of the past few seconds to realize Mike had attacked Aleksei's elbows before kicking him back. The big Russian looked up angrily at Mike, cracking his neck as he did.

"You want to play?" Aleksei said as he stood up tall, allowing his full height of six feet and four inches to be shown, causing Mike's instincts to automatically have a bit of fear based off of Aleksei's size. "Fine. I will _break_ you."

Mike watched as Aleksei rushed at him. He thought quickly, rolling to the right on his shoulder and quickly whipping back. As he did so, Aleksei unconsciously dived to his own side. He knew he had overstepped and wouldn't be in front of Mike, but he knew he was still within arm's reach. He felt his open palmed hand wrap around Mike's ankle, almost using the joint on his wrist to hook it. Scrambling to be right next to his target, Aleksei put pressure onto Mike's thigh with his shoulder, causing Mike's weight to shift to his right leg. When that happened, Mike realized that the shift in weight left his left leg without any pressure to stop Aleksei from lifting it up off the ground, due to him still holding onto Mike's ankle.

Clenching his jaw Mike coiled up the muscles in his free right leg and, lifting up off his toes, caused his body to jump off the ground. In a flash, he threw his head back allowing his leg to fly up and connect with Aleksei's head. The seasoned fighter that he was, Aleksei did not allow the sudden impact deter him. He held strong onto Mike's left ankle and lifted it up higher. Mike had already put his hands out "above" his head as his back sailed toward the hard ground to catch himself, but suddenly having more weight being sent down to his arms that he hadn't been counting on due to Aleksei's wise decision to lift his captured leg up was too much for him. He lost his balance and slammed his head to the floor.

"Ugh..." Mike groaned before feeling his leg be thrown to the side, followed by Aleksei diving at him.

"Say goodnight..." Aleksei whispered as he wrapped his arms in a way to get Mike into a chokehold.

"Agent Evdokimov! Stand down!"

Looking up in confusion, Aleksei suddenly saw Captain Bill Mitchell rushing into the alley. He noticed the medals on his jacket, recognizing a few of them as exclusive to those within the ranks of Alphabet Soup. Switching his brain to "soldier mode", he let Mike go.

"Ech... ugh... thanks, sir." Mike gasped as he slowly sat up from the cold concrete.

"What is going on? This is legitimate what he says, sir?" Aleksei asked, pulling himself up and looking at the man he recognzied as his superior.

"Yes, Aleksei. Now come with me. Your new mission awaits." Bill said as he turned and started walking off.

"New mission, sir?" Aleksei asked as he began to walk, leaving Mike Corbett behind.

"Yes," Replied Captain Mitchell. "You're going to put those fighting skills to work. You're going to be a part of Project Ranger."

. . .

Prince Nigorl sat upon his throne in his room. He was looking out the window to the right of his location, staring at the blue orb he knew as Earth as his family's space station floated in orbit in space.

 _This is my opportunity to prove to Father that I am the rightful heir._ He thought, his eyes seemingly penetrating the planet as he stared at it. _Mondo's fool son has been playing house here long enough. Archerina drags him into our family and he thinks he has the right to still call himself a prince!? I am the heir to this Machine Empire. Not him! And I will prove it. These Power Rangers that have surfaced on Earth are going to be my means of not only proving my worth to Father, but also to finally bring to an end that idiot, the child who calls himself Gasket!_

. . .

Titanus sat in the mountain range, much the same way his Temporal Twin had been doing in Timeline B-2. Suddenly, just as it was with his Temporal Twin, he felt a surge of Morphing Energy in the area. Looking down, he saw the man he knew as Gosei before him.

"Hello, Master Gosei." Titanus said, looking down at the small man. "To what do I owe the pleasure? I usually am only handled by Trueheart."

Gosei gave Titanus a knowing look. "Please do not think you are merely something to be 'handled'. You are a valued member of the Resistance, guarding over the powerful Thunder Slingers. Now, I am sorry Trueheart could not be here. He is currently facing a threat which needs his tactical mind in space."

"Well, I wish him all the best," Titanus stated simply. "As for me? Why are you here? I doubt this is a _social_ visit."

Gosei sighed. "I am sorry the war has left you isolated. I understand. My days are spent in an isolated cave I made. I, too, have had to sacrifice to ensure I am in the place the Resistance needs me to be to protect the Greatest Treasure in the Universe.

"And at this time, we have need of your services," Gosei stated.

"You mean _Zordon_ needs me." Titanus said with a sneer.

"I understand you have never forgiven him for the creation of the Transdaggers, but I know you have a sense of duty. Loyalty to the fight against evil," Gosei replied. "But, you are not a tool. Regardless of what you are made of right now, flesh or metal, you are a living being with the right to choose for himself. Are you or are you not going to continue in your duties?"

Titanus stared at Gosei for what felt like an eternity before answering. "What is my task?"

"As Alpha conveyed in his hologram message to the Resistance, Zordon has joined together a group of Humans to make a new Power Ranger team who will focus their efforts against the threat Rita poses. The two most influential members of the team have recently begun to bicker amongst themselves, so Zordon is putting them in a situation that will hopefully help them come closer together."

"And this involves me how?" Titanus asked, losing patience.

"Zordon believes putting them in peril's way will allow them to become closer as teammates. We want you to act your role as guardian of the Thunder Slingers. Fight them and give them a challenge in getting to the weapons." Gosei stated, staring up at the massive Wild Zord before him.

"Fine," Titanus answered curtly. "I shall await their arrival."

. . .

Tommy was irritated at Jason. He had begun misattributing Jason's need to look "alpha" in front of Bulk as a sign that Jason was competing with him. Jason had just boasted a few moments earlier about how he had found the first marker on the map. Tommy had taken that as a way for Jason to say that he was better than Tommy. That had caused Tommy to take a verbal jab at Jason, with him stating that without the half of the map Zordon had given him they wouldn't had found the marker to begin with.

Jason himself did not know why Tommy had reacted the way he had. Jason hadn't thought about how his actions earlier could had been interpreted. He just saw Tommy looking emotional sore over something and assumed Tommy truly thought that he was better than him. Upon that realization (however false it was), Jason began to feel the same way toward Tommy that he felt when he questioned himself in front of Bulk. He found himself sticking out his chest more and trying to be more assertive, to prove that he was not only as much of a man as he wished to portray himself as but also as the leader of the team.

Meanwhile, from afar off, Titanus peaked from behind the corner of the mountain lined canyon area. _A torn map leading to the Thunder Slingers? Obviously some sort of tactic Zordon employed to force these two to need to realize only that by working together can they be successful. Such a pity that genius mind is owned by a selfish fool..._

After watching for a little bit longer, Titanus noticed Tommy and Jason had spotted the area Gosei had set up to hold the Thunder Slingers. Titanus noted how Gosei had added statuettes of each of the Animals represented by the main five rangers' Power Coins, deducing it was to help draw Jason and Tommy's attention to it more easily. Deciding to reveal himself after his observation, Titanus moved quickly forward from his place of hiding and immediately started shooting small bursts of Morphing Energy from his mouth, aiming to the side of the duo to miss them.

Titanus watched as the duo scurried through the side of the mountain to avoid the blasts before they decided to morph. He overheard Jason declare that he was going to take care of him. As the Red Ranger ended his declaration, Titanus suddenly felt something cold and dark hit him at his very core. As the cold feeling swept over him, he could hear as if from a distance a voice. He knew not that it was The Voice that had been haunting Tommy since Rita had enchanted him. Titanus' strong connection to the Morphing Grid was allowing him to overhear the entity.

Do you see, Tommy!? Jason can handle this threat without you because _you aren't a member of this team_!

The thought was in and out of the Green Ranger's and Titanus' minds in a split second, but the feeling and intent behind the cry left its mark. The Green Ranger turned to the Red Ranger and placed his hand to his chest.

"Hey, wait for me!" Green Ranger said, angry because he believed that comment was meant to imply that Jason didn't need him (when in fact Jason hadn't meant that at all).

 _There is something evil affecting that Green Ranger..._ Titanus thought as the two rangers continued their trek. _Something dark and ancient..._

Titanus did not forget his role, however, and shot a few volleys of Morphing Energy at the two to stop them from getting to the Thunder Slingers since he hadn't felt that true growth had happened. He then overheard the Red Ranger come up with a plan that would utilize both of the rangers' strengths: Red Ranger would speed up to the Thunder Slingers while Green Ranger used his superior skills with weapons to battle/distract Titanus.

While Green Ranger saw that as a sign of Red Ranger apologizing for his recent behavior and accepting him as a member of the team, Red Ranger saw what he was saying as trying to help Green Ranger realize that each member of the team had a place and that Tommy shouldn't try to make himself be as if he was _more_ than the rest of the team by himself. Neither of the two knew how the misunderstanding between each other had started, but both believed that at that moment the issue was resolved and that things were back to normal. Regardless of the reasons, Zordon's plan worked and the two were working together.

As Titanus felt himself gaining a slight bit of approval for Zordon's methods, he noticed how the Green Ranger selflessly transferred his Dragon Shield to the Red Ranger. Titanus could feel currents of Dragon Animal Spirit and Green Morphing Energy erupt from the transferance. It did bring something else to his attention, as well. Earlier the Green Ranger's shield had looked bigger, but when the danger level had heightened he noticed how Green Ranger's shield had suddenly become compact on his suit, appearing denser even. Focusing, he could feel that the Green Ranger's power levels were somehow made manifest through his Dragon Shield. He could also feel something odd about it.

 _There's something... connected to that shield. Affecting its power levels... affecting the Green Ranger's ability to full tap into his powers._ Titanus thought. _It's not tied to that Voice I heard, but still... I feel as if there is something else evil connected to the Green Ranger's powers._

Titanus then felt something hit him hard. Having been lost in thought, he missed how the Green Ranger had combined the Dragon Dagger with the Red Ranger's Power Sword to shoot a powerful beam of Red and Green Morphing Energy at him. Focusing, Titanus shot a Morphing Energy attack at Green Ranger which was enough to knock him back, but not do any serious damage.

Titanus then turned and shot several blasts at Red Ranger. He was surprised to see the Dragon Shield activate and block each shot. Very much wanting a chance to look at the Dragon Shield at a later date, Titanus watched as the Red Ranger approached the box holding the coveted weapons. Meanwhile, he missed Green Ranger's recovery and how he had charged up for another attack.

"Hey ugly! Take _this_!" Green Ranger cried out.

Titanus turned and looked at Green Ranger in a fury. _It is not my fault I look the way I do! I was once a marvelous Dinosaur! But now... now I'm a freak! An abomination! You... you're just like that beast, Zordon!_

Letting the Red Emotional Energy of Rage fill him, Titanus opened his mouth and unleashed a powerful assault on the Green Ranger. As he did, Red Ranger declared victory for getting the Thunder Slingers.

 _No! I won't allow you two to allow Zordon anymore success! He does not deserve it!_ Titanus roared within his own mind, letting the Rage fully blind him.

Titanus opened his mouth and unleashed a most powerful attack. As it flew out from him, he felt Morphing Energy begin to crackle in the air. Right before the attack landed, he saw that Zordon had teleported the two rangers away.

"Titanus!" A voice cried out from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Who is there!?" Titanus demanded.

"It is I... Zordon. You could have hurt them seriously."

"They are nothing but symbols of who you really are! Just like me!" Titanus demanded.

After a moment of silence and meditation, Zordon answered. "Titanus... I apologize yet again for what you were put through. The device I made was meant to save your people. I did not force anyone to use it. The strict enforcement of the use of the Transdagger was on Black Lion."

"But had you not created that device, I would not have had to choose between my freedom and my liberty!" Titanus protested.

"That is right. There would have been no choice. Deviot would had won. The Orgs would had won. You all would have been lost, and from there who knows. Maybe the planet itself would had been destroyed," Zordon replied. "But it is _because_ of my inventions... _all_ of them that we stand any sort of chance _at all_ against Dark Specter and his forces. And you knew full well the choice you were making. And you decided to stand up for your convictions, regardless of the consequence. As did I. I, too, am trapped."

"But you don't have a choice!" Titanus roared. "You put me in an impossible situation!"

"Wrong!" Zordon yelled back, uncharacteristically losing his composure. "I _do_ have a choice. I have one _right now_. If I wanted to..."

Suddenly, Titanus felt something he had never felt before. It was a feeling that was overwhelming. A surge of Morphing Energy so strong it was nearly intoxicating to him. Looking to the scorched platform where the Thunder Slingers had once been, Titanus set his eyes for the first time upon the Meledon Ranger.

"...I could leave my Time Warp and live my life," Meledon Ranger declared. "But I don't. The life of a good friend depends on me staying in the Time Warp. I can leave for a moment here or there, but if I left there for good my friend would be lost forever. I was put in a situation that left me with a choice, but because I love _others_ more than myself, I made the _right_ choice. Just like you did!"

Titanus stared at the Meledon Ranger. Outside of the strong surge of Morphing Energy, Nathdian Magic, and White Emotional Energy he gave off Titanus could feel something else. Confidence. Leadership. The Spirit of a good man who truly did stand by his convictions.

"I... I must apologize, then, for my actions," Titanus stated. "I see now it truly has been me trying to pawn my feelings of bitterness about my situation to you. In reality, it is fiends like Deviot who landed me in the situation I am in. Just as your two Power Rangers needed to learn how to work as a team, so must I. Zordon, from here on out I pledge to be there for your team. I know your zord systems have the capability to merge us zords together. I saw that with Black Lion and Goom... I mean Animus. Whenever there is trouble you need only call and I will be there."

Meledon Ranger then bowed before Titanus. "You are a true inspiration. Thank you for all you have sacrificed to defend those who are defenseless."

"And..." Titanus said, looking down at his metal plated exterior. "... I thank _you_ for the opportunity to give that defense. With this body comes a blessing in disguise: I am a weapon."

Meledon Ranger nodded as he summoned a Time Portal to open up behind him, leading back to his Time Warp. "A true weapon. With you the Power Rangers will now have their newest weapon, the first of its kind. An Ultrazord."

. . .

"So that thing's name was Titanus?" Billy asked as he walked with Zack, Tommy, and Jason. "So his name greatly implies that your story of fighting him wasn't an exaggeration at all!"

Tommy nodded. "You got that right. After Zordon teleported us out of there, we tried to head back to stop him from attacking the city. Zordon told us that everything was taken care of and that, quote, Titanus wouldn't be attacking anyone."

"Man, that fight sounds like it was _unreal_." Zack commented, sighing and shaking his head in disbelief.

"It was actually a good thing, though," Jason stated. "It's making what we're about to go through right now feel like a walk in the park."

"Unfortunately our walks in the park are persistently laden with Putties frolocking about," Billy lamented.

"Mentioning that..." Zack started. "What are we gonna do about those Super Putties? They were near impossible to fight unmorphed. With the whole 'no escalating battles' thing are we now allowed to morph immediately upon seeing a Putty? I mean, Rita has done like a permanent escalation, right?"

"I'm actually working on that. We should be just fine." Billy said with a smile.

"What does _that_ mean?" Tommy said, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'll let you know when I have finished. I don't like to talk about inventions like these until they're ready to be presented for a working demonstration," Billy stated. "I don't want to hype it up and present to you all unreal expectations of grand performances."

As he said that, they entered the Youth Center from the parking lot. Seeing the two who were to fight have a complete change in body language, Billy realized it wasn't the time to continue tech speak. Letting the two "get in the zone", Billy followed Jason and Tommy as they entered the area to prepare for their championship match. All the while Zack walked with them, speaking with them to help them stay focused.

Bulk and Skull happened to be walking by with a fully garbed up Adam and Rocky. As they did, they overheard Zack helping Jason and Tommy concentrate. Bulk chuckled as he heard them.

"Hi, _losers_ ," Bulk said, full of confidence because of his Ninjas.

"Yeah, _losers_ ," Skull echoed.

As Skull laughed, Bulk walked away. Rocky and Adam felt uncomfortable as they marched behind the man who they were becoming more and more suspicious of being an "actual" manager.

"That wasn't very nice," Rocky said.

"You're a Freshman, right?" Bulk asked.

"Yeah, both of us," Rocky answered.

"You see... that just shows to me how you don't know anything about anything." Bulk said, smiling and wrapping his arm around Rocky's shoulder. "Now get out there and _fight_!"

Adam furrowed his brow. He was about to argue, but bit his tongue. He was naturally a shy person, and that shyness was kicking in with full force. He looked down, averting locking eyes with Bulk as Rock ripped Bulk's arm off him.

"What are you waiting for!? Go!" Bulk yelled.

Sighing, Rocky and Adam made their way to the ring. As they got onto the fighting area, they turned and put out their hands. Bulk and Skull put their gloves on for them and tightened them up (much to Kaplan's surprise, leaving him feeling happy that the extra meds he was giving them during their detention sessions were helping them do things such as wrapping the gloves for the fighters, which thing Kaplan was sure they would not had been able to do in the past). The duo then turned and looked at their competitors.

 _Oh, no... that dude's ripped!_ Rocky thought, swallowing hard as he looked Jason up and down.

 _Wait a minute... is that Tommy Oliver from San Angeles!?_ Adam thought as he looked at him. _Oh, no... and that's Jason Scott. Both champions in their leagues. I read about them in papers. We're in huge trouble..._

Rocky was up first. He got into his fighting stance as Jason did so as well. Wanting to assert himself early in the competition, Rocky went for a kick which Jason immediately blocked. Jason followed that up with a kick to Rocky's stomach. Jason felt completely focused as he blocked another punch from Rocky which led to Jason lifting up Rocky's arm and flipping him onto his own stomach.

 _Come on, man!_ Rocky thought. _You can do this! You have Ninja training. You should be mopping the floor with this guy!_

Stepping forward to get closer to Jason, Rocky found himself suddenly kicked in the chest. He had been so focused on getting closer he hadn't thought of his stance and allowed for himself to walk straight ahead instead of circling toward Jason, which thing allowed for Jason to use Rocky's forward momentum to land an easy blow. Jason then blocked another few blows before rolling out of the way. Following that with another succession of kicks to Rocky's abdomen region, Jason found himself blocking two punches before flipping Rocky once again.

As Rocky slammed hard onto the mat, he heard the buzzer indicate it was time to switch partners. Feeling ashamed, he tagged Adam in and took his place at the post outside the ring.

 _I'm nowhere near as good as I thought I was..._ Rocky though sadly. _I'm getting murdered out there! How will I ever open up my own dojo at this rate?_

Adam watched as Tommy got into the right (after having to remind Jason that it was no longer his turn). Breathing out slowly, Adam decided to switch things up and focus for a bit on the upper body. He tried to land two punches but was blocked both times. Deciding to stay in that area, Adam went for another punch but was blocked. That was his plan, however. As soon as the third punch was blocked, Adam moved to kick Tommy's legs to get him to fall. Thinking remarkably quickly, though, Tommy leapt over the kick and immediately went down to do the same thing to Adam. Reacting quickly himself, Adam also leapt over the kick and got back into position.

 _This guy, according to the papers, is one of the best teenage fighters in the nation._ Adam thought. _But I'm keeping up with him... I can do this!_

Tommy, meanwhile, was watching Adam's footwork. _This guy's pretty good. Man! I'm gonna have to step up my game!_

Surprised Adam went for more punches, Tommy found himself blocking them. Thinking for sure Adam would go for a kick, Tommy left himself open just as Adam had planned and hit in the torso by Adam's attack. Not wanting to give away the first hit for Bulk's team so easily, Tommy instantly landed three punches of his own on Adam.

 _No!_ Adam thought as he staggered back.

 _Wow! He didn't fall!_ Tommy thought incredulously. _This guy is pretty good..._

As Tommy watched, Adam rushed at him and from out of nowhere jumped up and planted both of his feet on Tommy's chest, knocking him down. Proud of himself, Adam prepared himself for the next move.

 _I can tie things up here!_ Adam thought happily.

Extremely worried about not only jeopardizing the match, but putting seeds of doubt into his teammate's minds about his ability to be a member of their team, Tommy rushed ahead and baited his head to be attacked by the now overconfident Adam. Taking the bait, Tommy blocked the move he'd known was coming and used his positioning to flip Adam down onto the mat. As Adam got back up, Tommy then did two jump spin kicks to get Adam thinking of an upper body attack until he ducked down and took advantage of the slight delay for Adam to process the feint to kick at Adam's legs.

As he landed the final blow, the bell rang. With mixed feelings on his performance, Adam slipped out of the ring and allowed for Rocky to take his place. Feeling sweat drip down his brow, Rocky gripped the bo-staff he was to use for the next round tightly. Wanting to make up for his less than stellar opening round, Rocky began blocking Jason's blows with great technique. Unfortunately, Jason's sheer strength was proving to be too much of a match for Rocky. Using too much energy upfront to match the superior power Jason had, Rocky found himself exhausted by the end of the match and letting a few blows he could had blocked go by. Although he performed better than the first round, Rocky knew he had once again lost his team points as he heard the round end.

"I'm sorry..." Rocky whispered as he traded off to Adam.

"No sweat, bro." Adam said, a smile able to be seen even through his Ninja garb via his eyes. "You're fighting a modern day Incredible Hulk! If that was me I'd be crushed for sure."

Feeling better about himself thanks to Adam's kind words, Rocky stood back and watched as Adam approached Tommy with his shinai, a sword made of bamboo wood used for sparring in Martial Arts. Rocky was amazed at Adam's skills, being able to go blow for blow with Tommy for the entirety of the round. He had never realized it up until that point, but right then he saw that Adam was the better fight between the two of them. As humbling as the experience was, the number one thing on Rocky's mind was hoping Adam could knock Tommy down to help regain points from his two rounds.

"No..." Rocky moaned as, right when the bell went off, Tommy landed a blow to Adam's torso.

As Rocky jumped onto the mat for the last round, Jason did as well. Rocky felt himself grow more nervous than ever before. Looking at the three fighters with him in the ring, all of them holding their shinais, Rocky focused. Hearing that the round had started, both he and Adam went to attack. Not having put in the same amount of practice for the match that Jason and Tommy had put in, the two Ninjas were unprepared for Jason and Tommy's tactics. They found themselves on opposite ends of the ring, the two Angel Grove fighters having been able to get themselves in the middle. In what felt like a whirlwind Adam and Rocky were suddenly being beaten down by Jason and Tommy mercilessly. As the bell rang stating the round was over, both Rocky and Adam found themselves sighing in disbelief.

While Tommy and Jason celebrated with their trophy while hanging on the ropes, Rocky looked to Adam and shook his head. "We came into this thing way too cocky, huh?"

"Yeah... I mean we may have been enrolled in the Ninja Academy before, but we haven't really been practicing hard..." Adam said, feeling guilty. "We can't just skate by..."

"Mentioning that, we need to go rollerblading again." Rocky said with a wink as he stood up, helping Adam up afterward. "But on a serious note... yeah, we haven't been training like we used to."

"You know what?" Adam said as the two slipped off the ring. "We need to redeem ourselves."

"How?" Rocky asked, confused.

"Next year, Rocky. We're coming back to compete here in Angel Grove next year," Adam stated confidently. "We'll bring Aisha, too. We'll compete in the three on three tournament and this time we'll _win_."

Rocky gave Adam a pat on the back. "You know what? _Deal_. Watch out, Angel Grove! Rocky, Adam, and Aisha will be back next year and we're gonna hit this tournament faster and louder than a clap of thunder!"

. . .

Later that afternoon, Billy sat in his lab while looking at the devices in front of him. Amidst the crazy array of wires were his newly bestowed Thunder Slinger and also his Power Morpher. The two powerful items were connected to each other with wires, all running into Billy's self made super computer. As Billy typed into the computer, he looked to his mouse Jack.

"So you see," Billy said to his pet/best friend. "I have connected the morpher to the Thunder Slinger so I can infuse the morpher with this Power of Thunder Zordon told me about. If I can get that to work like I think I can, our Power Ranger suits will automatically have the Power of Thunder within them, making Super Putties no more threatening to us than normal Putties! And if Rita sends normal Putties our way, they'll be smashed like they're nothing!"

Upon hearing Jack squeak, Billy smiled. "I'm glad you approve. And if my scans and calculations are correct, our team will slowly have physiological changes in our bodies because of the morphers, meaning that the Power of Thunder will seep into us and make us stronger in our unmorphed forms!"

After some more squeaks from Jack, Billy nodded. "Yes, that _does_ mean that we are already gaining some differences in our bodies due to our connection to the Power Morphers. I _do_ fear, though, that the connection we create with the Power Morphers and the Morphing Grid itself may become symbiotic and _permanent_. If we become too dependant on the morphers and anthing were to happen to them... I shudder to think of the withdrawls. I honsetly don't know if our Human physiology could take the separation... But we have to trust Zordon. He must know what he's doing..."

"Well, on that note Jack..." Billy said, beginning to speak about a thought that had been nagging him in the back of his mind. "I don't know. Zordon today told us that we have a new ally named Titanus. He apparently was a part of some sort of test for Jason and Tommy, but from what they told me it was a fairly harsh and _dangerous_ test. I don't know... I just... Sometimes I wonder if Zordon has _our_ best interests at heart or if he's just using us as pawns in a chess game to win the war against Rita. I know it's not good to speak ill of your superiors but... I can't help but wonder.

"Regardless of my inner doubts, though, I must press forward. Until I have true reason to doubt Zordon or his methods, this is the only chance we have at saving Earth." Billy stated confidently as he pushed his glasses up to rest higher on the bridge of his nose. "I am a Power Ranger and I am loyal to the end."

. . .

 _ **Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Saba walked up to Zordon. He had noticed how silent Zordon had been ever since he had left to confront Titanus. Sitting down next to him on the sand, he placed an arm around Zordon's back.

"What's wrong, my friend?" Saba asked.

"I've done horrible things," Zordon stated simply.

"I had kept you a secret from Sentinel Knight, for starters," Zordon stated. "Who knows how things would have ended had I told him about you earlier on... ? Maybe we would had become powerful enough to have stopped the Final Siege!"

"Or you would have given Ivicar and Estro even _more_ power with which to abuse," Saba retorted. "Remember what Ivicar did with the Ectomorphicons?"

"Burai... After I thought Tria had perished I let myself whither away into a shell of my former self. If I hadn't done that, I could've stopped Goldar and Nasty Knight from slaying him," Zordon said sadly. "And the Transdaggers. We were experimenting on non-sentient beings, but it was a slippery slope, Saba. I let the war and its plights lead me to authorizing the use of my machinery on people like Titanus and the other Animal Warriors. They turned to my tech in a time of need."

"Do you not believe what you told to Titanus, then?" Saba asked, concerned for Zordon.

"I do, but at the same time I completely understand what he is going through," Zordon said. "And I told him what I believed he needed to hear to continue fighting the good fight. Did I tell him of my own doubts? No. Should I have? I don't think so, but a part of me wonders... Am I doing this all the right way? Should I have sat down with Tommy and Jason and spoken with them instead of sending them off to do a mission? Having Titanus fire on them like that? Just because I do things for the right reasons doesn't automatically justify the _means_. And yet, how do I know _what_ means are justifiable? Where the line between good general and control hungry dictator lies?"

"Aren't you blowing this out of proportion?" Saba asked. "You're putting too much thought into this. The Rangers are indeed your soldiers. You care about them, yes. But we can't let that get in the way of letting Dark Specter _win_. If you make a mistake, well it happens. But what you must do is learn from it and move forward. We've had this discussion before, Zordon. You have to make the right calls at the right times. This isn't the time to _focus_ on building character. It's time to make sure the team runs efficiently enough to save the world. If they get existential development then fine. Otherwise... this is war. We can't sacrifice the universe to make sure Trini or Jason or whoever learns a lesson from every mission against Rita."

Zordon sighed heavily. "You're right. You're right. I'll try to continue getting them to be 'good soldiers' and do as I ask, but I will do my all to make sure that, where it can happen, I build these teens up to be the best people they can be. Otherwise they'll become dark versions of themselves. Bitter at the world and at the war I put them in. I can see them in a dark future, actually. It's haunted my dreams. Sometimes I think it is a vision of what is to come, but I have to tell myself it's nothing but my fears using my sleeping brain as an opportunity to fully play out the diabolical play they have been writing since The Guardian dragged me into all of this. This future... it's so dark. Kimberly and Jason are gone... Tommy roams the planet on some sort of mission... Zack is some sort of hunter... It's all so dark and... and just wrong for these teens. I want to do everything I can to make sure something like that doesn't happen. That a world that can become so evil could even _exist_."

Saba nodded. "It is a healthy Fear you have. Use it, Zordon. Use it to motivate you to be better everyday. To _win_ this war. I've seen your best, Zordon, and it's phenomenal. If you continue doing your best, you _will_ win this war for us. And as long as we can win this war, that future you saw will not happen. Even if we have to sacrifice our very lives, we must win this war."

"You're right again," Zordon stated. "As long as I fight, I cannot imagine a dark era like that to ever fall upon the world. Yes... okay, then. Well, we have some planning to do. How about we retry the formula for the Metallic Armor, shall we?"

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Ranger Hunter-2 laughed as he threw White Tiger Ranger off of him. "You and your Power Rangers are toast!"

"You'll never beat us!" White Ranger declared, gripping the handle of the Saba Saber tightly.

"Oh, yeah? Then why are your teammates having such a hard time!?" Ranger Hunter-2 asked mockingly, pointing to the Thunder Dino Megazord and its struggles against Frankenstein Monster-2.

In the Megazord, Red Dragon Ranger clenched his fist tightly. "We can't let up! Don't let this freak win!"

"Rwar!" Frankenstein Monster-2 roared, lunging forward and tackling the Thunder Dino Megazord.

"Agh!" Green Lion Ranger cried out.

As the shaking stopped, Yellow Griffin Ranger pounded her fist into her console. _No! It's all happening! We're losing! No... no! I have to be the one to make the difference! Maybe... maybe if I prove that I am the Trini he needs, the Hooded Man will return and train me! Give me back Li!_

"I have an idea!" Trini-2 suddenly said as she began to type into the console quickly.

"Trini!? What are you doing!?" Demanded Pink Firebird.

"I am transferring all of our auxiliary power into our Megazord's Power Bow!" Yellow Griffin explained. "I'm then going to send the energy sailing straight into the heart of that Monster through a Laser Arrow."

"But that might now work." Blue Unicorn stated as he started running diagnostics (all while Jase caused the Megazord to dodge an attack by Frankenstein Monster-2). "The energy signatures this Monster is giving off leads me to believe that it would only hurt the Monster, not destroy it. That would leave us completely defenseless for at least five minutes while we recharge."

"Shut up you idiots and fight!" Red Dragon Ranger yelled. "I can't do this all by myself!"

"Trini! Just stop it and follow Jase's lead!" Kim-2 demanded.

 _No! I can make the difference!_ Trini-2 cried out in her own mind. Her finger hovered over the final button which would lead to the attack she had planned to go forward.

"Zack! Swing the arm!" Jase ordered.

"Got it!" Zack-2 replied, doing as Jase had ordered.

"Nice!" Jase yelled as the fist blocked a blow from Frankstein Monster-2. As that occurred, Jase caused the Thunder Dino Megazord to swing with the other arm and, timed to the second Jase had predicted, the fist hit the Monster _right_ when the opening for a strike opened up leaving the Monster no chance to block the blow.

"Alright! Now we- huh!?" Jase cried out. "What just happened!? The power is down! Trini!? Did you-!?"

"Yes! Now watch!" Trini-2 cried out as she let go of the button she had pushed.

As she let go, a clap of Thunder roared through the sky and caused the Power Bow to appear in the Megazord's hands. All the energy from the Megazord drained out into the shape of a massive, laser-like arrow. Before Jase or Billy-2 could abort the attack, the Thunder Dino Megazord cocked its shoulder back and let the Laser Arrow fly forward and straight through the Frankenstein Montser-2. He choked out a cry before falling onto his back.

 _Come on... come on!_ Trini-2 thought.

"I think you did it..." Jase said with Hope.

Before he could utter another word, Frankenstein Monster-2 began to slowly pull himself up. Jase screamed in anger and pounded his fist onto the console.

"Now what, Trini!?" Jase cried out. "I had a plan and you didn't listen to it! Now our Megazord is probably gonna be smashed to _bits_ because of you!"

"But I-" Trini-2 began.

"No! If we survive this you're suspended from the team!" Jase shouted. "You may have cost us our strongest weapon, if not our _lives_."

Jase stared as Trini-2 sat in silence. He curled his lip in anger as he watched the heavily damaged Frankenstein Monster-2 stagger forward to attack their powerless Megazord. Right before Jase was going to order the team to retreat, however, a massive blast of Morphing Energy hit the Monster.

"What was that!?" Kim-2 asked.

"Over there!" Zack-2 yelled, pointing to the outskirts of the city.

They didn't know what it was that was heading their way, but judging by its appearance and actions they figured more or less correctly that it was one of Zordon's allies. It was the mighty Titanus.

"Whoa..." Tommy-2 said as both he and Ranger Hunter-2 stopped fighting.

Ranger Hunter-2 grunted and pushed himself away from White Tiger Thunder Ranger. "Whatever that is looks _big_. I'll take that as my cue to exit. See ya' next time, White Ranger!"

Frankenstein Monster-2, meanwhile, attempted to pull himself up. As he did, Titanus shot one more blast and caused the Monster to explode almost instantly.

"Who is that!?" Jase demanded.

"I think it's another zord!" Zack-2 said, amazed. "He looks _awesome_! We're gonna kick evil booty with that thing! Woo-hoo!"

Jase pursed his lips. "It may be from another evil faction of aliens, though. You never know..."

"Guys, we have enough power to get a hold of Zordon again!" Billy-2 said excitedly as he patched Zordon-2 in.

"Rangers! I am glad to be communicating with you again. The Power Chamber has been having power fluctuations ever since we made the White Ranger," Zordon-2 explained.

"Whatever. What is that thing? Is it going to try to destroy us?" Jase asked seriously.

"That is Titanus," Zordon-2 stated, adding the next part in with as much surprise as the rangers were feeling to learn of Titanus' existence. "He was the guardian of the Thunder Slingers you used to bring that Monster down before Rita made him grow. He is an ally of ours."

"Sounds good. Bye." Jase stated, ending the communication by pushing a button.

"Why did you do that!?" Billy-2 demanded.

"Because we don't need him and his manipulating ways to micromanage us," Jase said. "Billy? Make sure you get the info from Zordon about how to summon that big piece of metal over there. Also make sure to teleport the zords back to their bases. Now I'm heading to Ernie's to get something for my headache."

As he finished saying that, Jase teleported away from the area. Seeing what he did, Zack-2 and Kim-2 quickly teleported out as well to follow Jase.

"I am so sorry..." Trini-2 stated.

Billy-2 stood up and walked to her. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't know. You were trying to-"

"It doesn't matter what I was trying to do. I messed the mission up and almost got us destroyed," Trini-2 said, full of regret and sorrow. "I was selfish and didn't play like a team player. Heh... My uncle Howard always told me growing up about a Chinese phrase. Gung ho. It means working as a team... I didn't do that. I deserve to be benched."

"No! You made a mistake! We all do!" Billy-2 protested. "We'll figure this out. No worries."

"Hey, guys?" Tommy-2's voice was heard over their communicator.

"Yes, Tommy?" Billy-2 answered.

"Who is that? He's not a bad guy, is he?" Tommy-2 asked, not having heard Zordon-2's short communication before.

"No, he's not," Billy-2 answered.

"I gotta go," Trini-2 said before teleporting away.

"Oh, that's good to hear," Tommy-2 answered. "But guess what, Billy? We can still make it for our first fight of the Team Ninja Tournament. What do you say?"

Billy-2 wanted to say no. He wanted to tell Tommy-2 that he was wasting his time with him. But then he remembered how Jase and the other two had been treating Tommy-2 ever since he had joined the team. Billy-2 remembered how _he_ had felt when he was being shunned (which thing wasn't happening as often due to Jase's attention being tuned in on Tommy-2). He knew that, especially being new and alone in Angel Grove, Tommy-2 needed a friend.

"It's like Trini said Tommy. Gung ho, or teamwork!" Billy-2 said with a smile. "Let's go to the Youth Center. We have a tournament to attend!"

. . .

Richie-2 sat in what used to be McKnight-2's office. He was watching the fight happen on one of his surveillance screens. He smiled as he saw the divisions happen in the team (overhearing their conversations via the tech Alphabet Soup had). It was all going according to his plan.

 _Just you wait, Jason._ Richie-2 thought. _Your team's weak loyalties to each other are going to be your downfall. Soon you and I will be standing face to face. Soon I am going to be able to prove to you that I have been the better man all along. That your precious Zordon should have picked me. Alphabet Soup may be no more, but Project Ranger is still up and running, and oce my team of Thunder Rangers are ready you will stand no chance against me. Soon, Jason! Soon I will crush you and everything you represent!_

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Trueheart shot a burst of Morphing Energy from himself, hitting a Tenga Warrior in the chest. As the enemy fell onto his back, Trueheart looked around the area of the planet of Gamma 4 on which he stood. Outside of the Gold Triforian Ranger, the Green Gaia Ranger, and a small platoon of a half dozen Resistance Soldiers from KO-35 he was alone.

One of the soldiers, a young blonde haired boy named Zhane, pursed his lips. "Is that the last of them?"

Throwing his hands up into the air, the Gold Ranger shook his head. "Not anymore, kid. You know that if you're gonna say something stupid like that the chances of something really bad coming our way skyrockets one hundred percent, right?"

Zhane shrugged. "Nope. I didn't know that."

The Green Gaia Ranger looked around slowly. "The weird thing is that my sensors on Triforia picked up a _much_ larger attack than something two dozen Tengas could have caused. I mean, why else bring the three of us _and_ a squad. You know?"

Trueheart closed his eyes as Doc finished speaking. "Wait... focus..."

"Huh?" The Gold Ranger, Trilondon, asked. "What is it?"

Having closed his eyes, too, Doc nodded. "I can feel it, too, now that you mention it Master Trueheart. It's... _familiar_..."

Opening his eyes, Trueheart curled his lip in anger. " _Deviot_..."

"Deviot!? Here!?" Captain Kinwon, the leader of the Resistance squad, gasped.

 _We are so gonna be squashed..._ Zhane thought, thoughts oozing with the Yellow Emotional Energy of Fear.

The Green Gaia Ranger shook his head. "No... It's not Deviot but... his _handiwork_."

"What does that mean!?" Trilondon demanded.

"It means we have company." Trueheart stated simply as he got into a fighting stance.

Suddenly from the foliage around them walked out none other that the Bio Mech Power Rangers. Bio Mech Black, the former Burai, stepped forward and folded his arms across his chest.

"Ah, if it isn't Zordon's lackeys," He stated with mock glee.

Doc could feel the Demonic Black Energy flowing through them. It made his own White Energy based powers begin to pulse through him, preparing to take on the type of enemy his powers were created to eliminate.

Captain Kinwon then looked to his group of fighters. "Remember everyone... _teamwork_. If we stick together we can get out of this alive."

Zhane smirked. He appreciated how Captain Kinwon didn't promise them victory, but through intelligent battling at least he wanted to guarantee _survival_. Kinwon's realism made him a favorite in the political on KO-35, especially among the youth around the same age as Zhane.

"I will send your miserable Spirits back to the Afterlife where you _belong_ ," Trueheart stated calmly.

"I'd like to see you try." The ranger formerly known as Rahp stated, stepping forward in his red power suit. "Rangers? Let's crush them."


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Wheel of Misfortune

**Chapter Nineteen: Wheel of Misfortune**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Gaia Green, also known as Dr. Wilson Goier, punched the dirt beneath him. Waves of White Energy, the energy from the Emotional Spectrum correlated to the energy of Life itself, erupted from his fist and hit the Bio Mech Power Rangers.

The White Energy flowed through the Demon Power Rangers, reacting negatively with the Black Energy of Death which pumped through their very beings. The former ally of the United Alliance Claire Risp (who was at that time the brainwashed Bio Mech Yellow) ran in front of her group and did all she could to absorb the brunt of the attack.

"Now! Go!" She roared.

Bio Mech Green, who had once been known as Reon Talp, nodded and leapt forward. Before Trueheart could block the attack, the Green Cyborg hit one of the KO-35 Rebels and instantly caused him to lose his Life, snapping his neck as the intense force caused him to hit the ground past the threshold of terminal velocity. As that occurred, the Gold Ranger of Triforia thrust his staff forward and struck Paul Rahp, the Red Bio Mech Ranger, in the chest. Unfortunately for him, Drew Filcar (Bio Mech Blue) was there and took the opportunity to strike at him from behind.

"Coward!" Trilondon screamed as he rolled to the ground.

"No, just taking the opportunity for a win," Bio Mech Blue said coldly.

As Trilondon stood up to continue fighting, the soldiers from KO-35 found themselves firing their prototype laser blasters Doc had made with a mix of White Energy and his beta version of Anti-Morphing Energy at Bio Mech Pink, Silver, and Black. The newest and youngest of the group, Zhane, felt cold sweat falling off his brow as if they weighed the same as heavy bricks. As several dropped into his eye, he wanted desperately to wipe them off his forehead, but knew he could not for fear of what would happen to his group if he stopped his barrage of blaster shots.

 _We're so dead. We're so dead._ Were the words running through Zhane's mind, over and over again.

"Stay strong, soldiers!" Captain Kinwon ordered, clenching his jaw tightly. "We have to stand our ground or else Dark Specter will take this planet!"

As a shot hit Bio Mech Silver in the chest, he found himself allowing the blast to throw him into the nearby brush and effectively out of the battle. He lay in the vegetation, staring up at the grey sky. He sighed heavily as he was lost in thought.

 _What am I doing? Decade after decade have I continually stood by Deviot. I have been the deciding factor in so many battles... so many planets crumpled at_ _my hand_ _... became slaves to Dark Specter._ Bio Mech Silver thought, the same old thoughts which ran through his mind regularly making their regular rounds in his consciousness. _And with each one, my guilt grows more. Why do I keep doing this!? I can fight this! I know I can! But... I'm_ _addicted_ _to Deviot. I'm addicted to his work... I_ _want_ _to stop, but my programming... that infernal programming rides my mind like an itch I cannot scratch! It is my master and I am its slave, and yet I am still alive and making the choices! Or am I!? It drives me_ _mad_ _! I don't know where Bio Mech Silver ends and Michael, former Morphing Master, begins!_

And yet here I am...

 _not_ _contributing to this fight. I chose to allow myself to be crippled by that blow. I am actually fine! Does this mean I am completely guilty for every slave I have made for the United Alliance? Could I have chosen not to help bring down Horath? Could I have chosen to not help maintain the Bio Mech Rangers? Or am I deluding myself into thinking I have complete control!? Oh, how I pray and beg whatever powers that act as god in this life I have that I can find forgiveness! That none of this is my fault! But deep in my heart, I fear that I am just weak and I have __allowed_ _myself to continue helping the devil that is Dark Specter._

I was once a beacon of Hope! A Morphing Master who helped defend multiple galaxies and peoples from the type of person

 _I have become_ _! And now... each and every one of my talents are being used to crush those who cannot defend themselves, and fight..._ _suppress_ _those who are powerful enough to not only fight back, but who try to help those who my people want to enslave! I am nothing but a_ _villain_ _!_

But my intent... Is it not that by which one defines oneself? But what good is intent if I have not the fruits of my labor with which to

 _prove_ _such intent!? And it all boils down to a question which has plagued the greatest minds in the universe... Life after Death. I have died and have returned. Fleeting memories remain in me... but are they figments of my imagination? Is there indeed an Afterlife, or did I exist as energy outside of this universe and Deviot pulled that self-same energy back, and that is why I still exist? He claims to have brought back my Spirit, but... maybe it was just an amalgamation of the elements which comprised me in my former life. I don't know! If there is an Afterlife, what do I do with that information!? Will I be damned in the life to come for my actions, or will I be redeemed for the brainwashing Deviot has put me through!? Or will I ever be given the sweet rest that is to come from Death!? A repose from the horrors I have inflicted!? Or will Deviot continually keep my as his puppet!? Why must I continue being tortured as such!?_

The thoughts continued in the tortured mind of the former hero to the United Alliance of Old. Feeling his duty to Dark Specter piqued in his mind, he slowly brought himself up. The targeting system in his brain activated, and began pinpointing rangers and soldiers in the group. Michael did all he could to resist his itchy trigger finger, but his brain screamed for the sweet release of dopamine that Deviot programmed him to need. Feeling tears stream down his face, Bio Mech Silver pulled out his blaster and began shooting at the Resistance fighters.

Captain Kinwon was shot in the shoulder, unable to dodge the hit. He fell to the ground, watching as two of his soldiers lost their lives to Bio Mech Silver. Kinwon was shocked at how accurate the Silver Cyborg's attacks were. Kinwon knew not that in his past life Bio Mech Silver was a genius whose mind rivaled that of Zordon of Eltar, or his mentor Orion of Andresia. Bio Mech SIlver used that amazing mind to calculate each shot, and more often than not the attack was a killshot.

"Enough!" Trueheart proclaimed as he brought forward a massive amount of White Morphing Energy to act as a shield around the group.

Bio Mech Black, who had over the years become the de facto leader of the team, stepped forward and folded his arms across his chest. He laughed slowly as he looked over the shield blocking them from attacking the Rebels.

"Your mastery of the Morphing Grid is admirable," Bio Mech Black stated. "I am starting to understand the rumors about you, Trueheart. I am beginning to believe you _were_ an ancient Morphing Master."

"My past is of no concern to you," Trueheart stated. "Our fight is over the future. The future of those who you wish to enslave! We are only the first wave of the Resistance. We will _not_ allow you to take Gamma 4!"

"Just like you were able to stop us from taking Gwinnet? Or your valiant efforts on Hercuron?" Bio Mech Pink, the former Priscilla Dale, mocked.

As she spoke, Doc felt his stomach twist into knots. Priscilla had once been a dear student of his in the Old Alliance. Over the years he felt terribly for leaving the Old Alliance to follow Villamax as a Gokaiger, for he felt that he had turned his back on the one force fighting against the waves of evil trying to engulf everything in its path. Of the things he felt guilty over, not having been there for the medical team trying to run everything which was left of the Old Alliance after the Final Siege was at the top of his list. Priscilla and others had been thrust into the role of running all medical practices without the proper training. And on top of that, Priscilla had become one of the Alliance Rangers, who was murdered by Deviot and turned into one of his evil Cyborgs. He had not been there for her, and yet fate had brought them together on that day for him to face one of his regrets head on.

"Priscilla... Dr. Dale!" Gaia Green found himself shouting. "Wake up! This isn't you! You are being controlled!"

 _Doc!?_ Priscilla thought. _I... Oh, Doc... please help me! Save me!_

She tried to utter the words... to tell him how she felt. Everytime she did, though, he brain felt as if it was on fire. As if it were trying to tear itself apart. Her thoughts would grow to be jumbled together, so much so that the harder she focused on the thought, the less intelligble it became. In the end, only one thing was able to escape her mouth.

"You're a fool, thinking you can defeat the United Alliance!"

Gaia Green's head dropped at that. "We won't stand down... we won't lose this planet, too."

"You already have!" Bio Mech Red proclaimed. "You think these people trust you!? Trust what little the Resistance has to offer!? We are the renewed United Alliance! Dark Specter has promised the safety and security that was offered by the Old Alliance in our day and age! Protection from the Armada and from wandering thieves like Scorpius. These are things your Resistance cannot offer! The people of Gamma 4 have already seen how weak you are compared to the United Alliance! They have already _chosen_ to have us occupy them!"

"Preposterous!" Captain Kinwon spat.

"How do you think you didn't realize our team was already here, hmm?" Bio Mech Yellow asked, still recovering from the massive attack she had taken for the team earlier. "It was because our team is _stationed_ here. The government of this planet has integrated our tech into their planet! You didn't scan us because Gamma 4 has the same energy signature we do!"

"Deviot... I mean King Estro has come on behalf of the Cimmerian Planet and has created a great allegiance to the Alliance," Bio Blue confirmed. "The tech he has offered them rivals that of even Triforia!"

"Sorry, Doc," Bio Pink said sarcastically.

"No!" The Gold Ranger, Trilondon, yelled. "No one would ever choose to be under the reign of Dark Specter!"

Bio Mech Silver decided to break his silence at that point. "Let them go."

"What!?" Bio Mech Black demanded.

"Let them go. Free them. Let them go into the city and ask the people how they feel about the United Alliance. I think this level of defeat will be even heavier for them to live with than us destroying them here and now. Then they can go and report to their beloved Zordon. Tell him how much of a failure the Resistance is. How their reputation has been wieghed by the people and how they are choosing the United Alliance over their pitiful group."

Bio Mech Black considered Silver's thought for a moment. An image presented itself in his mind of Zordon, pained at the thought that his plans were failing. The image pleased him.

 _And I will finally have my revenge of Zordon!_ Bio Mech Black thought happily. _He will pay for having betrayed me! Mine was the spot he took in the Morphing Masters! He will finally pay for what he has done to me!_

Wait... what am I thinking!? No! We have to let them go so we can help them! They need to stop Deviot! He's a maniac!

Try as he might, Burai could not muster the words he wanted to say. Instead, he found himself agreeing with Bio Mech Silver.

"Yes. Their defeat will be even more pleasant the way you have described. Rebels? A few hundred paces ahead is the capital city of this continent here on Gamma 4. Face the truth yourself. Let's go, everyone."

Trueheart lowered his shield as he felt their tap to the Morphing Grid vanish from the area. He fell to a knee, exhausted from the effort of keeping the group safe. As Trilondon demorphed and went to him to help, Doc demorphed as well and went to tend to the injured.

Captain Kinwon sighed and began walking ahead. As he did, Trilondon looked at him in confusion.

"Where are you going?"

Kinwon stopped and turned around. "I need to know the truth. I need to know if what they say is true."

"Then I'm going with you." Trilondon said before pointing to Zhane. "You come, too. Stay alert. Doc? Escort everyone who is still alive back to our ship. Wait four intervals for us. If we haven't come back by then, leave without us. I can always call for Pyramidus to get us out of here."

"Okay. May the Power protect you." Doc said as he helped one of the Rebels up.

"You too, my friend." He said seriously before turning to Kinwon. "Now let's get to the bottom of this."

. . .

On Earth, Scorpina yelled with all her might as she plunged her curved blade deep into the gut of one of the Pai Zhua Masters. As he fell to the dirt, dead, she laughed.

"You fools think you can stop me!?" Scorpina asked in defiance. "I was trained by Dai Shi himself! You stand no chance!"

Master Mao stepped forward. "Not only will you need to get past us, but also the three chosen guardians of your master's prison. No matter what sort of power you think you have, you are not _that_ powerful."

"We have been training to protect the world from evil for eons." Master Swoop agreed, brandishing his special metal fighting fan.

"We have the power to stop you," Master Phant proclaimed proudly. "Back away and you will yet keep your Life."

"Yaarrrgh!" Scorpina yelled as her response, jumping ahead to fight the combination of Masters and Cubs before her.

The battle raged on from there. Mao was truly surprised at Scorpina's techniques. The ferocity she had was a result of her ten thousand years of imprisonment in the boulder they had put her in that had been in the Jungle of Spirits. Her hatred for the Order of the Claw and how they had her master trapped coursed through her. The Red Energy of Rage was her fuel, and the Pai Zhua were reaping what she felt was long overdue to them.

"RJ! Now!" Master Finn shouted to his thirteen year old son.

"Umm..." The Cub, RJ, said as he took a step back.

"Do not hesitate! Embrace your destiny!" Finn yelled as he ran toward Scorpina. "Shark Spirit!"

Sighing heavily, RJ focused in the direction of the gold clad woman fighting them. "Shark Spirit!"

Scorpina saw the attack from the two Shark Spirits flying toward her. Focusing herself, a pulse of Scorpion Spirit poured out of her and attacked the wave of blue power. Within moments, she defeated them. Fortunately for the group, though, an advanced Cub had seen what was happening and had sent his Rhino Spirit to attack Scorpina from behind. It was Dominic Hargan.

"Argh!" Scorpina yelled as she fell to the ground. "You'll pay for this!"

Dom got into a fighting stance as Scorpina leapt up and rushed at him. Before she could do anything, however, another Cub jumped forward and kicked her in the ribs, coming from her blindspot. It was a young Cub named Jarrod.

"Nice! Thanks Jarrod!" Dom proclaimed.

Jarrod stayed in a fighting stance, staring at Scorpina as he answered Dom. "Thank me when she's gone."

"Sounds good, roomie," Dominic said to his roommate.

"Focus your Spirits together and attack!" Master Swoop proclaimed.

Curling her lip in anger, Scorpina clenched her fist. Concentrating, she turned into a ball of flame and teleported away from the area.

As she vanished, Master Finn made his way to his son. "RJ!? What happened!?"

"I'm sorry, Dad. I-"

"Have you been practicing!?" Finn demanded.

"Of course, Dad. I practice everyday. I-"

"Have you been practicing the _Shark_ Spirit?" Finn interrupted, leveling his eyes on RJ.

RJ sighed. "A little. I... I'm just not feeling it, Dad."

Finn grunted and turned to look at Master Swoop. "I am blaming this on _you_."

Swoop smiled. "I only teach those who want to be taught. Your son not only has a talent for the Wolf Spirit, but a _love_ for it. He doesn't have that love of the Shark like you do."

RJ dropped his head as his father marched off. While he did, Dom and Jarrod made their way to RJ. Dom patted him on the back.

"He'll warm up, man. I know he will."

"I don't know... He's just so disappointed in me..," RJ said sadly.

"It doesn't matter what he thinks. It doesn't matter what _anyone_ thinks," Jarrod stated. "If you have more power as a Wolf user, then that's all that's important."

"It isn't that simple. I love my dad and I want him to be proud of me," RJ replied.

Jarrod scoffed. "That's only going to hold you back. You need to learn not to need anyone's acceptance. In this world, a lot of times you're completely alone. Only when you learn that will you become as great as you were born to become."

As Jarrod walked off, RJ nudged Dom in the rib. "You must have so much fun being in the same room as him."

Dom laughed. "There's a reason I spend most of my time in _your_ room. Haha!"

Meanwhile, deep in the jungle outside the Pai Zhua facility, Scorpina sat in silence while licking her wounds. _Ugh! I have failed you Dai Shi! Please forgive me! I have no other choice... I must go back to Rita! Maybe if I help her I can convince her to send some support back here to release my master. I can convince her that Dai Shi would be a good asset to the defeat of Earth. And then, when we finally get him back, Dai Shi and I can bite back and take Rita's base for our own!_

And with that, Scorpina made her way back to the Moon Palace. She was ready to work for Rita for a time, hoping to con Rita into helping her free her master, Dai Shi.

. . .

"Principal" Kaplan sighed as he thought about the play he had put on. It was based on the character of lore named Rumpelstiltskin and how he interacted with a lady, trying to trick her into giving him her first born child. The play itself was actually a test he had come up with and everyone was failing miserably. No one noticed how the point of the play was to trick Rumplestilstskin into revealing his name, yet the lead actress called for him by name several times. That was leading Kaplan into believing that it was a sign of some negative side effects of the serum he was giving everyone involved in Alphabet Soup.

 _I have been noticing this with many of the students, but this play is cementing it even more._ Kaplan thought. _Something in the students' abiility to remember things and to put complex ideas are being_ _lost_ _by the students. While they are all seeing increases in overall IQ and also their physical attributes certain things are beginning to fail. How is it those involved in the play haven't noticed the lead actress calling out the name Rumplestilstskin? It's concerning, yet I don't know what it means!_

And the new kid... Tommy Oliver. More and more he is becoming forgetful. His test scores indicate he isn't too far behind Trini Kwan in terms of intelligence. But having not been primed for my serum and just thrust in, having the serum in his system suddenly after moving from San Angeles... I think it is affecting him even more so than the other students.

"Here are the pants." Ms. Applebee said, walking into Kaplan's office.

Kaplan smiled. "Perfect. Bulk's journey has been a fascinating one, but he is constantly flailing whenever he embarrasses himself in front of everyone. These pants, made too small, will definitely rip once he gets on-stage and moves around a bit. I know that eventually he will get over the stigma of being embarrassed in front of others through this conditioning and my drugs. And then will Bulk be one of the most courageous people Alphabet Soup has ever _seen_."

"Don't you mean _tools_?" Applebee said, cocking up an eyebrow.

Kaplan sighed. "We feeling a bit miffed again?"

"I'm a Shapeshifter stuck on this planet against her will. Yes, I'm _always_ 'miffed'," She said with a sarcastic smile. "You know how it is. I love all of you, but deep down I know my role here and that I really don't have a choice in whether I leave or not."

"But we are doing a good work, are we not?" Kaplan asked the woman he had come to have deep feelings for.

"Yes, but sometimes I wonder if Rex really has our best interests at heart," Applebee stated. "On my own planet I remember seeing so much war, and being prepared for war here by raising the children up is great, but... power can get to people. I just hope it hasn't done so for Rex."

The words stirred within Kaplan. Those thoughts sprouted in him from time to time, but he always practiced the mental weeding necessary to keep him on task and not doubt his superiors. Hearing Applebee say those very thoughts outloud, though, was more than he had thought he could handle. The fears he had tried to suppress were very much alive in him, more so than ever.

Swallowing hard, he gave Applebee a weak smile. "As do I, my dear. As do I..."

. . .

Prince Nigorl, Prince Gasket, and Princess Archerina appeared suddenly in Times Square in the famous city of New York in the United States. The hustle and bustle of people moving about from their daily tasks shocked the trio. They had never considered that the people would be so absorbed in their own minds that they wouldn't even notice three Machines teleport into their midst.

"Move it, bud." One man with a heavy Brooklyn accent yelled as he bumped Nigorl with his shoulder.

"Vermin..." Gasket sneered. "Let us destroy the lot of them!"

"Agreed," Nigorl said. " _Attack_!"

Aleksei laughed as he saw Mr. Arusei, Isamu, and Angela morph before him. "You are all actually serious!? This is like a comic book! Haha!"

Harlen shrugged. "Yes, I guess it is, but... you don't seem surprised."

Aleksei winked. "Russia is not under a veil of disunion like the US government. We don't censor the past between the states like you lot do. I have read the old files. I know of the Superhero Registration Act and the heroes of old. I figured that sooner rather than later they would need to return. I just never figured I'd be chosen to be one! Haha! This is so funny!"

"I guess it takes a lot to faze him?" Mike said to Captain Mitchell, amused by the situation.

Mitchell smiled. "It definitely seems that way. Should make him a good ranger and-"

"Daddy!" Dana yelled as she ran into the room in their jet. "I mean... sir! There's a Monster attack in New York! It's the Machine Empire!"

Aleksei stood up and popped his neck. "Fantastic. I am excited to meet these Machines and to use this new power."

"I guess that's an acceptance!" Dr. Harlen said happily. "I will fetch your morpher, then!"

With a more somber mood, Captain Mitchell stepped forward and looked to the budding team before him. "I guess our trip to get Mr. Travert in France will need to wait. The Machine Empire seems to be full of themselves if they're going to attack a place as populated as New York. What makes me fearful is that if they are walking the walk that they'll be able to talk the talk as well. Team? Get ready to get down and dirty with these beasts. It's morphing time."

. . .

Prince Nigorl laughed as SHIELD Agents appeared in the area, shooting their blasters at the trio from Aradon's Royal House of Gadgetry. Archerina began making quick work of their weapons, shooting her arrows out and taking control of said weapons and also their vehicles.

"Marvelous, my darling!" Gasket declared as he stabbed an agent their the torso.

"This place is a hub for the Humans to interact." Nigorl stated as he shot a laser blast from his palm. "Gasket? Archerina? Blast this place to pieces. We will-"

"Stop right there!" Striker America ordered as she appeared with the rest of her team.

"Ah, the _Power Rangers_ ," Gasket said, clenching a fist. "It's been a long time since I have had the opportunity to _dance_ with the likes of you."

"And we have some frustration we most definitely want to unravel... hehe..." Archerina stated, kicking a SHIELD agent away from her.

"We can handle you!" Striker Japan declared proudly.

"So much destruction... It is terrible," Striker Russia stated sadly. "How will America cope with such a tragedy?"

"Likely they won't ever hear about it." Striker Kenya stated, folding his arms across his chest. "They have their 'Men in Black' who are responsible for containing situations like these."

Shaking his head, Striker Russia got into a stance. "A disgusting country Lex Luthor made this place to be."

"Enough politics, please?" Striker America stated, staying in a fighting stance as she watched Nigorl and his companions slowly approach them. "We need to focus on the fight at hand!"

Laughing, Striker Russia nodded. "Right. Let us _crush_ them."

. . .

Mora sighed as she sat beside Rose, watching her type away. "This is _bor-ring_."

"We have to make sure the Quantum Morpher stays safe, otherwise those vigilantes will get it and who knows what will happen." Rose replied as she tried to update the firewall to the building the morpher was in.

"You sound like you actually care about it. I'm surprised..." Mora said.

"Why?" Rose asked, irritated by Mora's conversation which was distracting her from her work.

"Because you are so anti-Alphabet Soup. You seem really invested in this project, though," Mora observed.

"Well, as much as I don't trust McKnight, I definitely don't trust some old codger millionaire and a team of super powered people he put together," Rose explained. "I'd rather it be at least controlled if that makes sense."

"Whatever," Mora replied, annoyed.

"Hey you two. What are you doing here?" An older boy in the Think Tank named Chuck asked, walking over to the two children.

"Working. You?" Mora accused.

"It seems like your little friend here is doing all the work while you just sit there." Chuck rebuttaled, folding his arms across his chest.

"We're taking _turns_ , loser," Mora snapped.

"Do you know who you're dealing with!?" Chuck roared, fire beginning to appear around his body.

Unflinching, Mora leapt up from her chair. "Obviously you don't know _me_!"

"Mora! Please stop!" Rose yelled, extremely nervous.

"He started it!" Mora screamed as she pulled a picture out of the bag she held near her.

"You're the Pictomancer!?" Chuck said in Fear, swallowing hard.

"Ahhh!" Mora screamed at him as a burst of Psychic Energy erupted from her.

Instead of animating the drawing, it hit Chuck and threw him back. His head hit a support pillar in the room and he instantly blacked out. As he did, Mora stared down at her hands in shock, dropping the paper. Rose stared on as well as the paper gently fell down to land next to Susie Sunshine.

"What just happened...?" Rose asked, confused.

"I... I don't know..." Mora replied, just as confused.

Meanwhile, watching the two due to an alert the security team had given him, McKnight sat at his desk in his office. The monitor was showing him the events unfolding, and he had tuned in just in time to see Mora manifest her new power. Smiling, he pused a button on his desk.

"Agent Mendoza? Get me the young girl named Mora. I think we may have found a new asset in her..."

. . .

Finster leapt for joy as he finally finished the project he had been working on for Goldar for so long: the Monster he had named the Ranger Hunter. Due to the advancements he had been given in Timeline B-2, Finster-2 had finished his version of the Ranger Hunter much sooner than Finster (and had also made it more powerful), but with the use of the Super Putty Rita had discovered, Finster had made a powerful Monster for Goldar's purposes.

Moments later, after receiving a message from Finster, Goldar appeared in the room. The Monstermatic was still smoking as he entered, the machine having just finished bringing Ranger Hunter to Life. Goldar nodded slowly while laughing quietly.

"This is perfect!" Goldar proclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but I still don't understand why Dark Specter didn't want Rita to know of this Monster," Finster said, still feeling uneasy about Goldar's instructions.

"It's above your paygrade," Goldar stated simply, lying through his teeth as he usually did. "Now don't say anything or you'll be in _major_ trouble!"

"Okay, but... what if Rita asks about the charge?" Finster asked.

"Huh?" Goldar replied, confused.

"Well, each Monster I make has a surge of energy go through the castle. Each Monster costs us in our monthly power bill from Lothor Industries and Rita reads the statement each month. She doesn't Lothor and is always trying to make sure he doesn't overcharge us," Finster explained.

Goldar groaned. "Um... tell her you tried to re-make the Frankenstein Monster but the combo you tried didn't work. I'll back up your story. Now shut up and leave me alone!"

"Oh, dear..." Finster muttered as he went to practice his lie in the corner of his lab.

 _Now that I'm done with that... I gotta get you to the other Timeline._ Goldar thought as he motioned for Ranger Hunter to follow him. _You'll raise too many questions for our incognito mission in this universe, but you'll definitely be able to help your Temporal Twin in the other Timeline and get things wrapped up there quicker! Hehe... And then with the resources we'll get from the other universe, I will finally be able to rule both universes as king of all!_

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Red Dragon Ranger threw a punch, but it was blocked by the Green Dragon Ranger who quickly twirled to have his back face the Red Ranger's left side. As he did so, Richie-2 used the momentum to his advantage and threw his elbow up and hit Jase in the helmet with it. Jase found himself flying back, stars in his eyes as he fell hard to the floor.

Summoning the Sword of Darkness in one hand the Dragon Dagger in the other, Richie-2 laughed. "The mighty Red Ranger, fallen by my hand. Hehe... I thought it would've been harder to be honest..."

The Thunder Power Morpher kicked in right then, fixing the concussion affecting Jase and helping him right himself in time to roll out of the way of the attack. He jumped up and summoned his lance, swinging it to hit his enemy. Green-2 blocked with the Dragon Dagger and attempted an attack with the Sword of Darkness but missed.

"Ooo... well I guess this _will_ give me a workout..." Green-2 said with a grin.

"You may even say the workout I'm gonna give you could _kill_ you." Red Dragon replied with a tone of arrogance as he ran to attack.

Meanwhile, Ranger Hunter-2 battled the Blue, Green, Yellow, and Pink Thunder Rangers as the White Thunder Tiger Ranger dueled Goldar-2. The four members of the original team had their hands full as Ranger Hunter-2 swung his arms and hit the Green and Pink Rangers hard.

"Ugh!" Zack-2 yelled. "Geez, Billy! Step your game up!"

Blocking a blow, Blue Unicorn Ranger scowled. "What!? I didn't even do anything!"

"Exactly his point!" Sneered Kim-2 as she got back to her feet. "You need to be there to help us and not get us into bad situations, you dolt!"

"You can't blame him for your bad fighting decisions, Kimberly!" Yellow Griffin shouted as she leapt over the Monster.

"Us!? Bad fighting decisions!? Ha!" Green Lion scoffed. "Did you _see_ how terribly Billy did in the Ninja Championships!? Now _that_ was bad fighting!"

Face burning from embarrassment, Billy-2 decided not answer and just continued fighting. As that happened, Tommy-2 felt himself get kicked in the chest and flung back, slamming into the outer wall of a nearby building. Bracing himself, he barely blocked the next blow from Goldar-2's sword with his Saba saber.

"Lasers!" Tommy-2 shouted.

"Good thinking!" Saba-2 declared as he shot Goldar-2 in he face.

"Argh!" Goldar-2 screamed as he stumbled back. "You'll pay for that!"

Then, suddenly, the other Ranger Hunter from Timeline B-1 appeared. He bullrushed Zack-2 and knocked him down. Goldar-2 just laughed as he saw it happen.

"Meet my newest Ranger Hunter! Ah-hahaha!"

As that happened, Saba-2 felt Zordon-2's hand on his shoulder. Not breaking eye contact with his new hologram, Saba-2 nodded to show Zordon-2 that he was listening.

"I am calling Billy in now. It is time," Zordon-2 declared.

Giving Zordon-2 a thumbs up, Saba-2 tried not to let the good news distract him. He couldn't help but smile, though, as he heard Zordon-2 head to the main hologram in the sky showing the inside of the Power Chamber.

"Billy? Return to the Power Chamber immediately," Billy-2 heard Zordon-2 say in his helmet.

"But I-"

"Now, please."

Jase roared in anger as he saw Billy-2 teleport off the field. "What is Zordon doing!? We need him!"

"We have to trust Zordon, guys," Tommy-2 declared.

"Shut up, new guy." Kim-2 spat as she kicked Ranger Hunter-2.

Trini-2 all the while began to wonder if Jase wasn't right about how he felt toward Zordon-2. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but not telling the rangers _again_ what was happening was a bit unnerving for her. Trying to stifle her fears, she continued fighting.

Meanwhile, in the Power Chamber, Billy-2 looked up to the tube showing Zordon-2's face. "What's going on?"

"Things have escalated too much, Billy," Zordon-2 declared. "Prepare another ATTITUDE Scan."

. . .

Finster-2 watched on the Viewing Globe as the Ranger Hunter from the other Timeline arrived, causing havoc for the Mighty Thunder Power Rangers. It was a very confusing thing for him.

 _That Monster is definitely of my handiwork. I'd recognize my craftsmanship_ _anywhere_ _._ Thought Finster-2. _Yet I did not make him! I am so confused... How did Goldar get him? From where did he come!?_

Oh, but I have been so confused for the longest time. I remember once working for the good of the universe. To ensure the Alliance was able to protect those who could not protect themselves. But I let my hubris get in the way. I allowed myself to defy Sentinel Knight and create morphers, even though I

 _knew_ _it was wrong. It was all a spiral from there... My love of science overrode all principle and had me go on a course of destruction. I helped Scorpius become the_ _thing_ _he is now. I saved Lord Zedd from a death which would had been profitable for the universe. I have helped Dark Specter's Alliance through more scrapes than I care to recall! I have the Scrolls of Zordina still, and I_ _daily_ _work on them to find the missing zords to give them to Goldar!_

And yet... I don't even know if I should be doing this anymore. I want to do science not for evil, but for

 _myself_ _. Do I have the courage to do this? I... I don't know... And there are obviously forces at work here I do not understand. Who is this other Ranger Hunter? Who made him and how did he do it_ _just like I would_ _?_

Finster-2 then walked over to the Command Center console. Pushing some buttons, he began a scan of Ranger Hunter. He was bound and determined to find out who he was, and where he came from. Little did he know that the truth he was to uncover was more than he could had imagined...

. . .

Agent Bennet-2 walked into the room where the former Alphabet Soup Think Tank operated. Ever since Richie-2 had taken control of everything, things seemed darker. It was harder to get tasks done because there was a constant fear of being caught Richie-2's bad side, which would lead to certain execution. Agent Bennet-2 had learned that the hard way when his trusted partner, a man known by Alphabet Soup only as The Haitian-2, had crossed paths with Richie-2 after he had lost in battle against the Power Rangers the first time they had shown their new zords. As a means of catharsis Richie-2 had slain The Haitian-2.

As he walked in, he spotted a group of the genius children hovering around Rose-2 and Mora-2's computers. He quickly made his way over to the commotion. His presence being noted by the children and young adults caused them all to stiffen up for fear of being reported as being "unprofessional" to Richie-2 and then subsequently "disappearing" like what had been happening to so many agents.

"What is happening here?" Bennet-2 asked.

"I did it," Rose-2 stated, though guiltily. "I have created a power up for Richie's power suit."

"If our charts are correct," Mora-2 added as she held Susie Sunshine. "Then he will be as powerful as five rangers _combined_."

For a moment Bennet-2 considered deleting the files. But then he thought of his family, his daughter Claire-2 in particular. He didn't want to jeopardize their lives on the off chance that Richie-2 ever discovered treachery on his part. Sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose while taking off his horn-rimmed glasses, he nodded.

"Okay, then. Give me the file," Bennet-2 stated. "I'm sure he'll be ecstatic to know that he will finally be able to defeat the Power Rangers."

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Billy sat in his garage, as he often did, running through the events of their recent encounter with Rita Repulsa's newest minion. The Monster they had fought that day was actually an object that Kimberly held close to her heart: a spinning wheel which was a family heirloom which was being used in the play they were in for the school. As a bit of pettiness from Rita, she targeted the wheel and had turned it into a Monster.

"Rita must have some sort of chip on her shoulder when it comes to Kim," Billy said to his pet mouse Jack. "First the parade float, now this? I wonder if Kim threatens her or something. I don't find Rita to be the most feminine of beings, but deep down her female physiology must be affecting her psychology enough to cause her to be more petty against Kimberly than our other team compatriots.

"And once again, Tommy is off being the lone wolf that he is and it got himself caught in a grueling fight against Rita's Super Putties. He doesn't spend much time with us, and I suspect he feels awkward around us because of his time as an evil ranger," Billy continued. "We tried talking about it once with him when he first joined the team. He was cordial and all, but he got his point across that we weren't to speak of that incident again. I feel badly for him. I don't know how the guilt would be if I were ever to be in a situation where I turned against my team. I pray I never have to be in that situation, lest the guilt totally consume me.

"Fortunately for us, both Titanus and Tommy were able to come to our aid and help us defeat the menace. We were able to even form a new zord combination today, Jack! Zordon is calling it an 'ultrazord'. Yes I agree that the name is a little silly, Jack, but it gets the point across. After we defeated it, I was fearful that the attack would destroy Kim's wheel, but we certainly were lucky in the fact that our fighting it and bringing it down did not destroy the heirloom but preserved it and returned it in time for the play.

"Oh, and the play... I feel badly, but I found myself laughing with the rest of my friends at Bulk as he made a fool of himself again. He ripped his pants in front of everyone. Granted he was being his usual Bulk self, but... I don't know. I _know_ how it feels to be picked on. Perhaps I laugh at him as a way of revenge? Seeing people like him, the same archetype of person who once bullied me getting their comeuppance, making me feel as if I am getting my own form of revenge? It's likely, though doesn't make me feel any better when I dwell on it.

"And yes, that is one of my greatest problems. I dwell too much. Analyze too much. But in the end, I like it. Yes there are negatives to how I am, but I truly believe the pros outweigh those cons. I am happy being me, and I guess that's all there is to know, right? Anyway, thank you for listening to my stream of consciousness Jack. You are my best friend, and I know I can always get therapy by speaking with you. Thank you."

Billy then looked back to his desk. On it were schematics for new vehicles he had daydreamed about during one of Ms. Applebee's lectures. Across the top of the schematic sheet was a title. It read, "Battle Bikes".

. . .

Captain Kinwon led Zhane and Trilondon out of the jungle and into the city. They climbed over a concrete (or whatever their planet used as concrete) wall and slipped into the main market square via an alley. In the alley they found some brown robes hanging on a clothesline that they slipped on to hide their uniforms identifying themselves as soldiers of the Resistance.

"What now?" Zhane asked.

"We find out the truth." Kinwon stated, motioning for the two to follow him.

Zhane felt awkward walking in the midst of the Gold Ranger and the captain of his group. He had felt under qualified to even be in the group to begin with, let alone to be picked to accompany those two into a recon mission.

"Him." Trilondon stated, pointing to a man at a market stand.

"Good eye." Kinwon replied, making his way over.

"Why him?" Asked Zhane, confused.

"His tent area. There are several footprints in the sand around it," Trilondon explained. "And his stock of fruit is low. He is popular here, and must know the opinions of the people well."

Zhane nodded, understanding. It made him realize even more how over his head he was with the quality of expertise those two had.

"You guys are perceptive." Zhane decided to whisper as they approached the man who Kinwon had already engaged.

"And you can be, too," Trilondon replied. "Just sit back and learn."

"-don't you agree?" Kinwon was heard saying by Zhane as they approached.

The merchant shook his head. "No, I do not. Do you know what our people need? They need to feel confident in their safety. We are people who cannot defend ourselves. People who cannot provide for ourselves without outside help. The United Alliance can provide that for us. King Estro has promised us this. The Resistance? Their ideals are nice, but they can't protect us. The Alliance has the firepower to protect us from pirates, or from thieves like Scorpius. The Resistance runs around in shadows trying to fight the Alliance, because they can't fight head on. And if they happen to take down the Specter, they definitely will not have the firepower to defeat Mavro and his Armada. Specter _can_ and _does_ keep Mavro at bay _while_ fighting the Resistance. So no, I don't think we'd be better off with the Resistance."

Kinwon pursed his lips, troubled by the merchant's perspective. "But what sort of life do you think to live under an organization who calls themselves the United Alliance of Evil? Or by a man who calls himself Dark Specter?"

The merchant barked out a laugh at that. "Ha! Ridiculous! I hear those rumors made by the Resistance. I don't understand people like you who support the Resistance's false propaganda. Who in their right mind would make a group who calls themselves evil? It makes no sense! The Spectre is a mighty leader who has created a massive empire the likes of which the universe has ever known! Zordon of Eltar is just an old hermit hidden in some unknown crevice of the universe who misses his star status from the Old Alliance and wants the old paradigm back."

Kinwon nodded slowly. "I suppose you have a point. I don't agree with it, but I understand."

"Now, you gonna buy something or what?" The merchant asked impatiently.

As they ended the conversation, the trio walked back in silence. They returned the robes to the hook from which they found them and climbed the wall to return to the jungle area. As they did, Zhane sighed.

"I don't get it. Why did he believe those things?"

Trilondon smiled. "Because the people don't see the big picture. While we are out fighting the war, they live their day to day lives. They just care to keep their lives going the way they are. That they have a roof over their heads and whatnot. Deviot promised that to them. Because we are so focused on toppling Dark Specter we don't have the resources to do something like that. Heck, Dark Specter can murder billions but as long as these people get what they want, it won't matter."

"Precisely. They are disconnected from the big picture, making it easier to only focus on their own needs," Kinwon stated. "As that merchant spoke, I remembered one of my training sessions with Zordon, where I was taught about an Earth philosopher named Machiavelli. He posited that the people will tolerate an evil monarch as long as that regime did not do anything to their property. They could slaughter families, causing murmuring against him, but in the end if their property is untouched they will uphold the evil monarch. Zordon stated it was a possible outcome from the UAE and unfortunately it seems as if he was right."

"What can we do to stop this!?" Zhane asked, feeling defeated. "We have to teach the people they are wrong!"

"We can only keep fighting. It's a vicious thing, this cycle of war. A wheel of misfortune, Zhane," Captain Kinwon stated as they continued to walk. "What we do is prove Dark Specter is wrong, then take him down to build the true Alliance back up."

"We can't convince everyone, man," Trilondon added. "People have their opinions and those opinions are what create the different belief systems we have in the galaxy. The merchant has valid points. He maybe doesn't understand that under Dark Specter how everyday is a gamble, and how they would never know when the UAE would come in and suck this planet of its resources for their own gain. But us, with the knowledge we have, have the responsibility to protect those who can't protect themselves."

"But if the merchant is right... we technically aren't able to protect ourselves let alone anyone else. The only reason we survived the battle against Bio Mech is because they let us go," Zhane stated. "We are weak... how would we even do anything to help others?"

"We do what we can. We may end up failing, but what makes us the 'good guys' is that we don't stop trying," Kinwon answered. "We can't, because everyone is depending on us."

"And there will always be evil. Just like how the Old Alliance fell, eventually the Alliance of Evil will, too. And whoever replaces them, hopefully us, will probably someday fall, too. Like what Kinwon said: it's a vicious cycle. We just do all we can to make sure the end result leans more toward good than bad," Trilondon said.

Zhane nodded slowly. The rest of the trip back to their ship was silent. Swimming in a sea of his own thoughts, Zhane could not come up with a solid answer to anything. Was there a right side then? A wrong one? Dark Specter obviously was more cruel to the people, but he did get the job done as the merchant had illustrated. He did protect the galaxy from external threats. He wondered if it would be irresponsible for the Resistance to take control, for they didn't seem as powerful than or as capable to take care of things as Dark Specter was. His gut told him the Resistance was the better option, but he feared that they would never be strong enough to do for the galaxy what Dark Specter was doing. It left him wondering if everyone within the UAE was as evil as he had been taught. He didn't have the answer, but he knew one thing: as long as KO-35 was safe he would fight for anyone who would guarantee that.


	20. Chapter Twenty: Island of Illusion

**Chapter Twenty: Island of Illusion**

 ** _1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B1_**

Striker America cried out as one of Archerina's arrows hit him in the rib. Clenching her jaw to distract from the pain, she rushed onward anyway and threw a punch. Archerina used her bow as a weapon to toss the punch to the side, kicking the Pink Ranger in the stomach and causing her to fly back.

"Silly you," Archerina stated with a giggle. "You truly believe you can best me?"

"Bring it on, hussy!" Striker America cried out, righting herself before pushing ahead to battle her foe.

Meanwhile, Striker Russia and Striker Kenya took on Prince Nigorl. Off a ways, Gasket squared off against Striker Japan. Both groups had been slowly separated one from the other, arbitrarily being paired with their opponent without reason. As was the case, Nigorl seemed to be the stronger of the two princes under Aradon and fate appeared to be the giver of fortune that he had two rangers against him as opposed to only one.

"Pathetic." Nigorl commented casually as he slapped a kick from Kenya away from himself.

"Yah!" Russia grunted, going for a double leg takedown on the machinal prince.

"Fool!" Nigorl proclaimed, teleporting slightly to the right to cause Striker Russia to fly forward with his own momentum. "You telegraph your moves too much! You Humans have no chance of besting me!"

"We must come at this a different way," Mr. Arusei, Striker Kenya, stated.

Aleksei, Striker Russia, agreed. "Yes, but we don't have time to really think this out do we?"

Before Arusei could reply, Nigorl opened up a palm and blasted the two Striker Rangers hard. They flew through the air and landed in a heap on the pavement. Nigorl laughed as he began to charge up for another blow. One he hoped would end them once and for all.

All the while, the Red Ranger from Japan known as Isamu Takenaka launched a mighty kick against Gasket. Gasket used his forearm to pound the leg down by hitting the leg on the top of the thigh. Then, moving quickly, he twirled around and slashed Striker Japan in the chest with his mighty sword.

"Agh!" Isamu cried out.

"You are nothing but a gutless _worm_ ," Gasket announced with an air of arrogance as Isamu fell to the ground. "Now prepare to fall to the Royal House of Gadgetry!"

As the blade swung down to hit Striker Japan, Isamu thought quickly and rolled out of the way. Hearing the powerful blade clink against the pavement, Isamu jumped up and performed a roundhouse kick to Gasket's head.

Spying the situation his two male teammates were in and seeing how disoriented Gasket had become due to the kick, Isamu grabbed Gasket by the shoulders and tossed him at Nigorl. Before Nigorl could react, he watched as his blast erupted from his own palm and hit his brother-in-law, who had been thrown in the way to act as a shield for the two rangers.

"Nice throw!" Striker Russia cried out.

"Idiot!" Nigorl said with a sneer.

"I'm... badly damaged." Gasket announced before teleporting himself back to their space station orbiting Earth.

"Now it's three on one. I like those odds," Arusei stated with a laugh as Isamu ran up to them.

"This isn't the last you've seen of the Machine Empire!" Nigorl cried out as his answer before teleporting away himself.

"C'mon!" Isamu said to his teammates. "Angela needs us!"

Sprinting to her location, the three rangers saw Striker America land a crushing blow with her fist to Archerina's head. The princess stumbled back, slowly falling to her back.

"Ha!" America said with a smile. "Knock out!"

"Hunh! _Hardly_!" Archerina answered, pulling herself up. "But I see now that our one on one duel has been compromised. You have no honor to bring your friends into this fight. Until next time, coward!"

"Wait! No, I-" Angela tried to argue as Archerina teleported away. "Sore loser..."

"Nice going, Angela!" Isamu stated as he ran up to her. "Very impressive!"

"I think I could learn a thing or two." Striker Russia said as he gave her a playful punch to the shoulder.

"Yes, yes but we need to head back to the jet," Striker Kenya stated, interrupting the celebration. "The Men in Black are probably needing to get to cleaning up and we aren't helping one bit by sticking around."

Angela nodded. "You're right. Okay, team. Let's get back to the jet and get ready to recruit our last teammate."

Isamu smiled behind his visor. "Okay! France, here we come!"

. . .

In the Moon Palace, Scorpina smiled as she handed a hot cup of juice to Rita. She watched as Rita slowly gulped the who drink down before being handed the cup once again. She kept a cheery countenance the entire time.

 _If I'm going to get her to help me release Dai Shi I'm going to need to be on my best behavior!_ She thought as she placed the empty cup to the side.

"Er... long time no see, Scorpina!" Goldar stated/accused. "Where have _you_ been?"

"I went to visit my old master, Dai Shi," Scorpina answered truthfully. "Unfortunately he is still trapped by those horrible fools at the Pai Zhua temple. Which reminds me, Mistress Rita, I-"

"Why would you be visiting him!?" Rita barked from her rocker, not breaking eye contact with the wall she'd been staring at. "You work for _me_!"

"Well, I was thinking maybe if we got some external help we could-" Scorpina began.

"Yes... that's it!" Rita said suddenly, jumping out of her chair. "Follow me!"

Goldar, intrigued, followed Scorpina and Rita out to the balcony from where Rita routinely spied on Earth. Squatt and Baboo were already there. Goldar overheard them talking about sneaking into a movie theater on Earth to watch some movie called "Jurassic Park". Once they realized Rita was in the room, they quickly clammed up. As they did, Rita glowed with Dark and Blue Magic. Suddenly, using said Magic, she caused several of her objects to appear on the balcony.

"I have a debt to an old friend, you see," Rita said. "I recently tried helping him, but it backfired. Perhaps now I can live up to my word!"

"What do you mean, oh Mistress Rita?" Scorpina asked, curious about Rita's words.

"Just you wait and see!" Rita proclaimed. "I'm sick of those pinheads! Time for the heavy artillery!"

Goldar watched in awe as Rita chanted the words of Magic which came naturally to her. With every word uttered, everyone on the balcony could _feel_ Magic flow through them. It was both exciting and terrifying, feeling such immense power emanate from the Witch standing there. Then, suddenly, she proclaimed a summon. Red Magic erupted from her as she called upon two beings: Mutitis and Lokar.

Nodding slowly, Goldar remembered who Lokar and Mutitis were. He remembered how during one specific battle, after Rita had uncovered the lost evil from millions of years in the past, she had summoned Lokar to help defeat Zordon and his Resistance. He could not remember the specifics as he was not directly involved in that particular battle, but he had been told about how Rita's new ally had helped create a Monster named Mutitis and how they had nearly wiped out Zordon's battalion on that planet. Somehow, though, Zordon had been able to escape an alternate reality Lokar had sent him to and had been able to severely weaken Lokar, causing him to need to hibernate to renew his powers.

What Lokar had not known was that during his hibernation, Rita had performed a sealing spell on him to ensure he was bound to her as long as she had power to bind him. Even after he had regained his strength he had could not free himself of Rita, due to his nature as a Spirit. Rita had chosen to hibernate the Monster, Mutitis, as well. Mutitis was a Monster who was _extremely_ powerful, but only when Lokar was able to directly "feed" power to him. Goldar recalled a meeting at one point shortly before they had all been locked away by Zordon in which Darkonda had been ordered by Dark Specter to see why Rita had not been using Lokar. Rita had revealed to Darkonda how she was greatly weakened whenever she summoned him, due to their bond. Darkonda had then questioned why the bond to begin with, to which Rita had answered that Lokar's power was potentially more than Dark Specter's and that she didn't want to have another potential power struggle to begin.

What made Goldar curious was the so called "favor" Rita said she owed to Lokar. Seeing as he had not been involved with the conflict that nearly cost Lokar his Life, he was unaware of any debt she owed to Lokar. What made it even more curious was how Rita had apparently attempted to pay off said debt to Lokar in recent times, which event Goldar could not pinpoint having occurred.

 _I thought I had her figured out!_ Goldar lamented. _If she is still able to slip things past me... Well, we need to speed things along so we can get her out of the picture!_

After Goldar stated how excited he was with Rita's plan, he turned and left for the Dark Dimension. As he did, he ran into Finster.

"Oh, hello Goldar!" Finster greeted happily. "I heard some commotion coming from the balcony. What has happened?"

"Rita is summoning Lokar and Mutitis again," Goldar answered simply.

"Oh, dear..." Finster said as he lowered his Canine head sadly. "I suppose my Monsters just aren't cutting it for her. I guess I must return to my studies to ensure I can step up to the plate when she'll need me again!"

"'Step up to the plate'?" Goldar asked in confusion.

"It's a saying from the Humans from some sport they play," Finster answered. "But on the subject of Monsters, how is my Ranger Hunter doing? Is he fighting the Aquitar Rangers? The mighty Triforian? Maybe the rangers from the Karovan System?"

Goldar gulped before answering. "Uh... yeah! All those! Hehehe... well, I gotta go!"

"Why does he spend so much time in that Dark Dimension of his?" Finster wondered aloud as Goldar sprinted away. "And it is so odd I haven't heard from any of the news outlets about my Ranger Hunter. It must be a deep, secret mission I bet. Oh, I'm so proud of him! My Ranger Hunter is surely making minced meat of whatever team of rangers he is fighting!"

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

"We've been fighting for twelve hours straight!" The Pink Firebird Ranger cried out as she staggered back from a kick she successfully blocked. "I don't know how much longer I can take it!"

Ranger Hunter kicked Green Lion Ranger in the neck, sending massive amounts of pain through his body for a brief moment. And then, there was no pain at all from the neck down. It took Zack-2 only a moment to realized why.

"Ahhh!" Zack-2 cried out as Yellow Griffin ran to him. "He broke my neck! I'm paralyzed!"

"No! Zack!" Jase cried out, kneeling next to Trini-2 as Kim-2 lunged at Ranger Hunter. "This can't be happening!"

"Wait... I'm starting to get feeling again!" Zack-2 announced happily.

Jase nodded slowly. "Right... I'd forgotten about this. Our morphers are constantly healing us during battle, but massive attacks sometimes take much longer to heal than minor ones."

"Thank goodness he'll be fine." Trini-2 stated before turning back to see Ranger Hunter toss Kim-2 to the side.

"Yeah, no thanks to Zordon or Billy," Jase stated in anger. "That wouldn't have happened had we had our full team!"

Letting the Rage fuel him, Red Dragon Ranger bolted toward Ranger Hunter. In the most impressive display of Martial Arts any of the team had ever seen Jase perform, Red Dragon began to unleash massive amounts of damage to the Monster.

Meanwhile, Tommy-2 as the White Ranger had his hands full. He was trying to juggle both Goldar-2 and Ranger Hunter-2. While trying to battle Ranger Hunter-2 with hand-to-hand combat, Tommy-2 had thrown Saba-2 into the air and ordered him to move autonomously and keep Goldar-2 at bay.

"I need some help over here!" Tommy-2 said as Goldar-2 dodged a laser strike from Saba-2 and slashed at him.

As sparks exploded from his suit from Goldar-2's attack while being simultaneously picked up and thrown by Ranger Hunter-2, Zack-2 pulled himself up. "Hold on, New Guy! I'm on my way!"

"Thank goodness..." White Thunder Ranger stated as he peeled himself off the ground. "I thought I was a goner..."

"No need to worry. The Zack-man is here to help!" Zack-2 stated confidently as he rushed forward and leapt at Goldar-2. "You take care of that armored dude over there!"

"He's never been that nice to me..." Tommy-2 muttered under his breath as Saba-2 returned to his hand.

"It is due to the injury," Saba-2 replied over the audio system transmitting his voice from Time Warp-2. "His morpher is causing many neurotransmitters to be released in his mind to help him forget about the pain and continue battling."

"So I shouldn't get used to 'happy Zack'?" Tommy-2 asked as he successfully slashed ast Ranger Hunter-2.

"Unfortunately not," Saba-2 replied.

"Come on, Zack," Goldar-2 taunted in the meantime. "You think you are good enough to fight _me_!?"

"You _know_ it, man!" Green Lion said as he did some Hip Hop Kido. "You're going _down_!"

"Uh... Goldar?" Finster-2 was suddenly heard saying to him.

"Er... what do you want!?" Goldar-2 roared in anger.

"Who are you talking to, man!?" Zack-2 demanded as he punched Goldar-2 in the chest. "You pay attention to _me_ , got it? Cuz I'm the last thing you're _ever_ gonna see!"

"There is, well... another _you_ here and I'm very confused!" Finster-2 reported. "He said you need to come to the Command Center immediately!"

Mind reeling with the implications of Finster-2 knowing about the "other Goldar", Goldar-2 instantly vanished in a ball of flames. As he vanished, Green Lion found himself falling to the ground, the momentum behind his latest attempt at punching Goldar-2 throwing him past the point where his target had once been.

"Yeah, son!" Green Lion proclaimed. "He ran away like a scared little _punk_. Now it's your turn, metal head! Here I come, Tommy!"

As Zack-2 fought alongside Tommy-2, Richie-2 watched on from a roof nearby like he often did. That time was different, though. As he stood and watched, he was completely demorphed. The reason for that being he did not have his morpher on him. At that moment, Rose-2 was applying the upgrade to it which would allow him to be as powerful as five of the Mighty Thunder Rangers _combined_.

"Have your fun, little Zack," Richie-2 said with a smile. "Because today is the last victory you'll ever have..."

. . .

Goldar-2 stared at his Temporal Twin, fuming as he did. "What are you doing here!?"

"This was too important!" Goldar declared. "It's something you can use to turn the tides on the rangers!"

"What is going on!?" Finster-2 demanded.

"Quiet!" Both Goldars yelled out in unison.

Goldar-2 then turned his attention back to his Twin. "What is it, then?"

"Rita summoned Lokar to send the Rangers to his Island of Illusions! You can do that, too!" Goldar said with enthusiasm. "With the rangers _gone_ you'll be able to take Earth _easily_ and use its resources to strike at Dark Specter!"

" _Betray_ Dark Specter!?" Finster-2 gasped.

" _Quiet_!" Both Goldars repeated.

Goldar-2 nodded slowly. "That is an excellent plan, but... I don't know how to summon him."

"Well-" Finster-2 began, waiting to be silenced again.

"Well _what_!?" Goldar demanded.

"Well, I could always use the Command Center to do it," Finster-2 stated. "I remember the incantation and can channel enough Morphing Energy out of this place to summon him, I theorize."

"Then do it," Goldar-2 ordered. "Summon forth _Lokar_. And you, my brother, can return to your... um... planet."

Goldar looked from his Twin to Finster and back. "Ah... yes. I will return to... _there_."

Finster-2 began punching in buttons as Goldar vanished back to the Moon Palace in a blaze of fire. "So... I was not aware you had a twin brother."

"I don't like him. I don't want to talk about it. Just get this done _now_." Goldar-2 barked as he teleported back to the fight.

 _This doesn't make sense..._ Finster-2 stated as he typed furiously away into the Command Center computer, trying to find where in the ethers of the universe Lokar-2 had disappeared to after his connection to Rita-2 had been severed. _Other Goldar said that Rita had just summoned Lokar and that was why Goldar had to do it, too. What does that even mean!?_

As he thought, he continued like the dutiful soldier he was. He could hear the Command Center audio system begin to recreate the encantation that would bring Lokar-2 back to Earth. As he did, the only thing he could think about was how this Other Goldar had to be connected to the appearance of the Other Ranger Hunter a mere half day earlier. And with that, he hoped the answer to Other Goldar would be answered when the Command Center finished scanning the Ranger Hunter he knew not was from Timeline B-1.

. . .

Zordon-2 concentrated from the Time Warp as he channeled his Magic and Morphing Energy into the Power Chamber. He could feel the Order of Meledon working through him, feeding the Power Coin that sat on a table in the Power Chamber.

"Is it working?" Billy-2 asked.

"Yes... I can feel it..." Zordon-2 answered. "This project will be a success. Billy? Go get the new ranger. It is _time_."

"Alright, Zordon," Billy-2 stated, ready to go and explain things to the new recruit instead of scaring him the way Zordon had done to them on their initial visit.

As he vanished, Zordon-2 heard Saba-2 gasp. "What is it?"

"Very, very bad..." Saba-2 stated, not breaking eye contact with his own hologram showing things through the saber's "eyes". "Take a look at the monitor..."

Zordon-2 furrowed his brow as he caused the Power Chamber to activate the monitor. Diverting his attention from the Power Coin to the monitor caused the downmorph to slow down a bit. Placing his eyes on the monitor, Zordon-2 saw something which truly frightened him. It was a face floating in the sky above the rangers that he had not seen in many, many years.

"I feared this day would come..." Zordon-2 stated.

"As did I. He's back..." Saba-2 answered.

"Rangers!" Zordon-2 cried out as he focused on them to teleport them out.

"Ah-haha!" Lokar-2 shouted as he shot a blast from his mouth at the Power Rangers.

It all happened quicker than he could react. In the blink of an eye the five Power Rangers were gone. As they vanished, Mutitis-2 appeared on the scene next to the Ranger Hunters and Goldar-2.

"No... no, they kept him _alive_!?" Zordon-2 gasped, his stomach in knots.

"That's... that's just _barbaric_!" Saba-2 agreed as his hologram went black. "How could they do that to him!?"

"Rita is truly one of the most evil beings to have ever lived..." Zordon-2 stated as he stared at Mutitis-2.

"And what about the rangers, Zordon?" Saba-2 asked.

"They will need to get off that horrid island just like I did so many years ago," Zordon-2 answered. "They must not let Fear consume them. That island is nestled right in the middle of the Emotional Spectrum, in the Yellow Energy frequency. If you give into Fear there... then you will become _one_ with the Spectrum of Fear. And if that happens, there's nothing anyone can do to bring them back..."

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Goldar walked back onto the balcony. As he did, he saw Rita beginning the final stages of preparation to finish Lokar's summoning. Standing there, he felt Scorpina nudge him in the rib.

"Yes?" Goldar asked.

"You're being rather secretive about where you go all the time. Mind sharing?" Scorpina asked, winking at Goldar.

Goldar chuckled. "Only if you let me share with Rita your intentions when it comes to Dai Shi's return."

Pouting angrily, she turned her back to Goldar to watch Rita. Goldar and the others there watched as massive surges of power erupted from Rita. Goldar was amazed by how the raw, unrestrained power (which thing did not happen in Timeline B-2 due to the Command Center _focusing_ the power Finster-2 used to summon Lokar-2) flowed out from her and out to Earth. Unbeknownst to them (not that they would had stopped it had they known about it), the surges flowing from Rita was causing massive earthquakes in random places on Earth. All random, that is, except for Angel Grove. That was due to the fact that Angel Grove was the focus of the spell, to where the dreaded Mutitis was to be sent.

Seeing the chaos ensuing, Goldar decided to attack the team while they had their guard down. He sent Putties down and then joined them with Scorpina to fight the team. As they battled, Mutitis slowly made his way to the fight. Already grown to giant size, he was triggering the automatic response Jason had as team leader.

"We need Dinozord power!" Red Ranger was heard proclaiming.

As the rangers left the fight to dock to their zords, Goldar looked up to the sky as if to look directly at Rita. "My empress! While the rangers battle Mutitis, let Scorpina and me go to the Abandoned Warehouse District to take Zordon's precious artifacts!"

Rita's voice suddenly came down with booming authority. "No, Goldar! I don't want to stretch our forces too thin! Return and act as back-up in case Mutitis fails!"

Clenching his fist in anger, Goldar nodded. " _Fine_ , my empress!"

"How do you _stand_ her incompetance?" Scorpina whispered.

"Why do you think I'm always gone?" Goldar answered with a chuckle before they all returned to the Moon.

Meanwhile, in the Command Center, Zordon stared from his tube at the Viewing Globe. He was greatly troubled by the massive amounts of Magic the Command Center had picked up right before the quakes had started.

"What do you think Rita is planning?" Saba asked.

"I do not know. I have _never_ seen energy like that," Zordon stated. "And all I got with my Nathadian Scan was an image of something called the Gem of Souls. I don't know what it means."

"We may soon find out... Look!" Saba declared, pointing at the hologram.

They had missed the transition from the fight Goldar had to Mutitis. Upon seeing the Megazord struggling against its newest foe, they let the realization set in. They knew fully well, just as their Temporal Twins did, who Mutitis was.

"No! No!" Saba said with anger. "I thought we'd defeated him! Given him a chance not to be this horrible _thing_!"

Zordon felt as if he'd been dunked into a tub of ice. Seeing the familiar image of Mutitis brought back horrible, horrible memories for him. Memories of his first encounter with a mad entity named Lokar. Memories of the horrors he had faced while in a place Rita had called the Island of Illusion...

And that's when it happened. A massive blast of Red Magic erupted from the Moon. Rita's summoning had finished and from the spell came forth Rita's champion for the fight. The Ancient Affliction known as _Lokar_.

"Lokar..." Zordon said in a low voice.

"Pull the rangers out. _Now_!" Saba demanded.

Zordon thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No, Saba. You were the one who taught me... This is a war. If we retreat now we risk giving Mutitis Angel Grove. We have to stand our ground. I am fortifying the rangers' connection to the Morphing Grid. Since the Morphing Grid resides in their universe it should keep them grounded, stopping Lokar from pulling them into the Emotional Spectrum."

"Ay-yi-yi!" Alpha 5 was heard crying out. "Zordon, what do we do?"

"Patch me to Tommy immediately," Zordon ordered, composing himself.

A moment of silence later (in which Saba sat, confused about whether or not he agreed with Zordon), Tommy's voice was heard checking in.

"Tommy, the Power Rangers are in trouble," Zordon relayed to Tommy in the calmest way he could. "You _must_ join them in the park immediately."

"Is this wise?" Saba asked.

"I don't know," Zordon answered truthfully. "But what other choice do we have? Alpha? Reinforce the rangers' connections to the Command Center and the Morphing Grid."

"Yes, Zordon," Alpha 5 said as he began to channel more energy to the morphers.

As he did so, Zordon stared on as Lokar breathed on Mutitis, causing him to become an even more deformed version of himself. Zordon felt truly awful as he saw yet another transformation befall the Monster.

"I can't believe Rita kept him alive after all this time..." Zordon stated, feeling as if his soul had been ripped from him.

"She is truly one of the most evil beings to ever live," Saba said in response.

"When she took Eric and had Lokar mutate him into this horrible beast..." Zordon said. "We knew the only way to save him was to put him out of his misery. To know she kept him alive all these years... He's still in there in that mind, somewhere... _trapped_."

Saba attempted to stop a tear from falling unsuccessfully. "It's like she's mocking us. As if to say if she could do _that_ to the great Panama Ranger... the first Silver Space Ranger... that she can beat us _all_."

"Not this time," Zordon stated. "We will free Eric of his pain. And we will defeat Lokar once and for all. I believe in our rangers, Saba. I know they can do this."

. . .

As the Global Strike team continued from New York to the country of France, they could see out the windows of their jet the waves began to crash violently. It was obvious that it wasn't a normal occurrence.

"What's happening?" Dana asked, staring out the window.

"I don't know..." Captain Mitchell answered, a look of concern etched on his face.

"I think it's connected to what is going on in Angel Grove..." Dr. Harlen suddenly said.

"What's 'Angel Grove'?" Aleksei asked from his seat.

"There's another group of Power Rangers, like you guys, stationed there," Mike answered in as simple a way as he could think. "They are fighting another evil space menace."

"Yikes." Isamu said, giving everyone on the jet a look of concern. "Earth is in a lot of trouble..."

"Especially if these reports are true..." Harlen said. "According to General McKnight a massive head appeared in the sky over Angel Grove and blasted the Power Rangers. After that attack, Dr. Kaplan has found absolutely no trace of the Power Rangers in Angel Grove."

"You mean-!?" Angela gasped.

"I don't know. But the evidence is pointing to one conclusion..." Harlen stated, not daring to finish his sentence.

Putting on a brave face to ease the tension, Captain Bill Mitchell looked to his team. "It means it's up to us. If this is true, we are now Earth's newest team of front line soldiers. Be it Rita Repulsa-"

"Who?" Isamu asked, although Captain Mitchell just continued speaking.

"-or King Aradon, it doesn't matter. We are Power Rangers and must stand up for our planet. Mike? Tell the pilot to turn this thing around. If there is a major threat in Angel Grove that is probably going to affect the whole planet, then we need to take care of it."

"What about Mr. Travert?" Angela asked.

"I'll need to make arrangements," Bill said. "We'll definitely need him. Everyone? Brace yourselves! We're going to go save the world."

. . .

King Aradon sat on his throne, watching the screen floating before him showing what was happening. He had learned of Lokar through downloading history lessons from the archives of past battles Dark Specter kept on the planet Onyx. Seeing him on Earth, apparently fully powered, worried him.

As he watched the footage, he heard Nigorl and Gasket march into his throne room. He groaned deeply to himself, knowing more or less what he was about to hear.

"It's all his fault!" Nigorl shouted, pointing to Gasket. "I had two rangers right where I wanted them and this _idiot_ allows himself to be thrown about like the bag of bolts he pretends that he's _not_!"

"That's preposterous!" Gasket rebuttaled. "I was handling my opponent just fine until he got in a _lucky hit_. This should not be something used to judge _everything_ I've ever done for the Machine Empire!"

"Which Machine Empire?" Nigorl asked arrogantly. "Father's, or Mondo's?"

"That's it!" Aradon roared. "First of all... no one should _ever_ mention that toaster oven's name in my presence! Second of all... Nigorl, my son. Stop trying to bring Gasket down! Gasket!? Stop trying so hard to prove yourself to me!"

"But-" Both Nigorl and Gasket started at the same time.

"Silence!" Aradon shouted as he cut them off. "Now listen... right now Rita Repulsa has unleashed a _menace_ on Earth. His name is Lokar. He is very dangerous and if Rita can't keep him under control I fear he may try to destroy everyone on the planet, if not the planet itself. As of right now, no one is allowed to go to Earth for any reason until we know for certain that Earth is free of Lokar and thus, free for us to work again. I am not risking any of my empire with that fiend around, especially members of my Royal House of Gadgetry. Is that _understood_?"

"Yes, my father," Nigorl replied.

"Yes, King Aradon," Gasket said as he bowed.

"Now leave here. I will let you know of further updates," Aradon ordered.

He watched as the two possible heirs to his throne left his main chamber. Turning his attention back to Angel Grove, he watched as Mutitis began to cause havoc. Buildings were being ripped apart, and the jets from the SHIELD agency were doing next to nothing (when they were even able to get close enough to Mutitis past Lokar) on the former Silver Ranger.

 _This seems to be the end..._ Aradon thought, not sure if it was good or bad for him. _Either Lokar helps Rita conquer Earth and my empire can go back to its normal assignments, or I'll have to go in and clean things up for Rita. Either way, this should be quite interesting._

. . .

Ernie sat next to Dr. Kaplan in the back of the Youth Center. Everyone had evacuated during the earthquake, except for those two. As Ernie sat and watched Kaplan's monitors, the doctor himself analyzed the battle and tried to learn more about the rangers' energy signals. When the final attack had hit the rangers, sending them to the Island of Illusion, Kaplan had begun to, putting it delicately, freak out.

"No! No! No!" Kaplan cried out. "This can't be happening! What will we do without the Power Rangers!?"

"I'm sure we can think of something!" Ernie stated. "GA Rex always has a back up plan, right?"

"It's over! Their power signatures have vanished!" Kaplan lamented, ignoring Ernie. "Do you know how much _raw power_ is needed to obliterate all six rangers _at once_!?"

"No," Ernie stated simply.

" _A lot_!" He cried out. "We're doomed I tell you! Doomed!"

"We just have to have faith everything will work out!" Ernie stated. "Wait... look! What's that!?"

Turning to look at the screen, a massive jet-like vehicle flew onto the scene. Zooming in, Kaplan was able to identify three figures coming out of the jet. He was old enough to recognize two of them, and it was a very odd thing for him.

"Iron Man!? Captain America!?" Kaplan gasped. "And is that... the villain Carnage!?"

Landing from their carrier onto a skyscraper, the man who Kaplan had erroneously called Captain America pulled out his shield. Clutching it tightly, the New Avenger known as US Agent gritted his teeth.

"You ready, Tony?" US Agent asked. "I only ask because I don't know if you remembered what you were supposed to do in your old age. _We are here to fight_!"

Iron Man chuckled. "I hate you so much. You're a disgrace to that uniform. You ready, Hybrid?"

The hero who looked like a version of the villain Carnage, but with more tendrils protruding from the Symbiote suit, nodded. "We are ready to rock this."

"This sure looks like it's going to be harder than tracking down the Justice League." US Agent stated as he ran off the skyscraper to land on the next building over.

Flying to meet up with him as Hybrid swung over as well, Iron Man looked at Mutitis. "Yeah... I never saw Captain Marvel or Batman Beyond ever grow to be that big... Should be fun, though! See ya' there!"

"Be careful, old timer!" US Agent shouted.

"I didn't know you cared!" Iron Man called back before turning on his communicator.

Before turning his own on, US Agent turned to Hybrid and smiled. "I don't care about _him_. It's just that he's wearing a lot of tech and I don't want to see it go to waste."

"Whatever. Just get to work," Hybrid replied before swinging away.

Mutitis suddenly roared in anger as he felt a blast hit him in the eye socket. He quickly pinpointed Iron Man buzzing around him. Treating him like the equivalent of a fly, Mutitis began swatting at Iron Man.

"Here's your assist!" US Agent cried out, throwing his shield at Mutitis.

Iron Man shook his head in disappointment as the shield hit Mutitis, getting stuck in his tough hide and not returning to US Agent. "Oh, man. Steve would be so disappointed right now..."

Meanwhile, Hybrid had made it onto Mutitis' shoulder. "Okay Coulson. What now?"

From the massive jet, the team mentor known as Agent Coulson watched. "Place the detonators. One on his neck. One near the navel. The last one on the foot."

Hybrid nodded. "Alright. It'll be an easy descent then."

"Be careful, May," Coulson added in a private communication.

Smiling under the Symbiotic suit, Agent May rushed toward the neck. Rolling to get there quicker, she placed the bomb at the neck. Turning around, she extended out several tendrils and used them to slide down to Mutitis' navel.

"You got this, Hybrid!" US Agent called out as Iron Man carried him through the air.

"Now get that shield back. It's a pain to get those manufactured." Iron Man said as he tossed US Agent toward the shield still embedded in Mutitis' skin.

"Woo-hoo!" US Agent cried out, aiming his descent so that he could grab the shield on his way down.

Meanwhile, Lokar had noticed what the trio from the New Avengers were doing. Focusing, he blew out a massive blast of power from himself, aimed directly at Hybrid. As that happened, Hybrid suddenly found herself falling from her position, not having placed the second detonator.

"We messed up," Hybrid stated, speaking in the plural third person as was common of those under the influence of a Symbiote.

Coulson bit his lip unconsciously. "Place the third bomb at the feet. We'll need to get Tony in close to do the last one."

"Me? Are you sure?" Iron Man asked. "I mean... I can maneuver well but I don't know if I'm _that_ good..."

"You'll need to be. Hybrid isn't fast enough to make the mark," Coulson stated. "And unless you've figured out how to use Ms. Millbrook's Speed Force tap, you're the best shot we've got now."

"I wish I'd switched places with Hawkeye..." Iron Man stated, thinking of how they were each put in charge of different units. "Guarding that Quantum Morpher seems so much better right about now."

At that, Hybrid was able to get the lower bomb in place. "Okay, Tony. I'm bailing out. Fly by and take the last bomb."

Shooting out a tendril, Hybrid swung away from the massive Mutitis. As she did, Iron Man swooped next to her. She tossed the bomb to him for him to catch. Unfortunately for him, however, Rita Repulsa herself decided to interfere. Pointing her staff at the bomb, she hit it with Red Energy and caused it to fly into the debris in the city below.

"Argh!" Iron Man screamed. "I lost it, Coulson."

"Drat," Coulson swore. "Okay, I got our guys on the jet trying to activate the tracking on it. Until then, keep the big brute busy."

From their spot in the Youth Center, Ernie and Kaplan watched in amazement. To see bonafide Superheroes after so many years fighting for the safety of the planet touched them dearly. Memories of news reports flooded Kaplan's mind, while the things Ernie had imagined from reading old reports and browsing through comic books based on the heroes of yesterday came to life right before his eyes, live on camera.

"This is the greatest day of my life," Ernie said, starry eyed.

"Let's just hope it isn't the _last_ day..." Kaplan stated, suddenly losing his optimism. "They did just lose the bomb..."

"Even if it _is_ my last day," Ernie replied. "It sure would be an epic one to end on."

"Hmm... wait. That ship over there." Kaplan said, pointing at the screen. "Isn't that... the ship McKnight gave to Captain Mitchell? What's that doing _here_!?"

As the Global Strike Jet swooped in, a small opening appeared beneath it. Standing in a circle around it were the four Strikers. They could hear Captain Mitchell in their helmets as they prepared to leave the jet.

"Okay, guys. Harlen was able to find out what the situation is," Mitchell stated. "There was a bomb to be placed on the Monster. Three in total, actually, but one was lost. Your visors have been updated to show in the bottom right hand corner a small map of the area. The blinking red dot is the bomb while you are the constant green dot. The closer the green dot gets to the red dot is the same as you getting closer to the bomb."

"This is like the game "Doom" and the map!" Isamu stated happily.

"This is no _game_." Aleksei said, flexing his muscles through his orange suit. "Now let's _do this_!"

"Alright Global Strike! Move out!" Angela ordered, leading the team by leaping out of the jet first.

Aboard the jet, Dana looked to her father, worried. "We don't have zords like these rangers do. Do you think we can actually do this?"

"I can't think that way," Captain Mitchell stated. "It's all or nothing. We _will_ do this, Dana. We are going to take this guy _down_. This is no other choice."

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Mutitis-2 laughed as he punched a building at a support pillar. The building began to cave in as he rushed out of it.

"I _told_ you he could break the building with one hit!" Ranger Hunter declared.

Ranger Hunter-2 looked down sadly. "Ah! I _hate_ losing bets!"

"What are we even doing right now?" Ranger Hunter suddenly asked, looking to Goldar-2.

Goldar-2 laughed maniacally. "We're celebrating as Lokar destroys the city! Ah-haha!"

Turning to look, Mutitis-2 watched as Lokar-2 began to expel his Magic on the city. Buildings either exploded or were warped into something twisted and perverse. Dark Magic began to concentrate so much from the center of the Angel Grove that it began to sweep through the city in a mist. People were either dying or becoming hideous Monsters upon contact with the horrible mist.

"We did it! Nothing can stop us now!" Goldar-2 declared in triumph. "Ah-hahaha!"

"Think again, gold guy."

Goldar-2 and his cronies spun around, looking for the source of the voice in confusion. Ranger Hunter-2 was the first to spot the new person. He couldn't believe what he was looking at.

"Another Power Ranger!?" He cried out.

"Impossible!" Ranger Hunter shouted.

"Rwoar!" Grunted Mutitis.

Goldar-2 caused his sword to appear. "That confirms it! Zordon _is_ still alive! He'll regret ever defying the mighty Goldar! Attack!"

The new Grey Ranger in question was grey in color ((image by timmotheus from Deviant Art. This image was the one I found that I liked the most for my idea of a Grey Ranger)). He had a shield about his chest like the White Ranger had, black in color. There were gold accents, with designs similar to that of the team's newest ally, Titanus-2. He had black gloves and boots, with gold diamonds on them. Unlike the main team, the diamonds were not a design on the suit but protruded off the glove, made of a metallic material. The Grey Ranger's belt was also black to contrast the grey suit, with gold overlaying the majority of it in a riveted pattern. At the center of the belt, like with the design of the original Mighty Morphin' suits, sat a Power Morpher with a gold Power Coin in its center. On his back sat his main weapons: two grey colored massive blasters. They were programmed to shoot out blasts of pure Morphing Energy.

"I'm nervous..." Grey Ranger said in a private chat into the microphone in his helmet.

"You'll do just fine," Billy-2 was heard saying. "I'm sorry I can't help you in your first battle, but I really need to figure out how to get my team back from this island place they were sent to. But it's like I said: with the combination of Zordon's own energy and your Ninja training you should do _just_ fine!"

As the Monsters quickly approached him, Grey Ranger sighed. "Well, please just hurry. I don't know if you realize how _terrifying_ this is."

Billy-2 smiled in the Power Chamber as memories flooded his mind of the first time, just outside the Command Center, he had been attacked by a squadron of Putties followed directly by a battle with Goldar. "Yeah, I think I know how you feel. Just trust your instincts and don't give up."

Breathing in slowly, the Grey Ranger focused on the impressions he was getting from his morpher and the programming it was feeding into his brain. He was also aware of new thoughts and impressions he had never felt before, not knowing that it was his new connection to Zordon and the Order of Meledon that he was feeling.

And then it happened. The first of the bunch, Ranger Hunter, went in for the attack. Grey Ranger easily ducked and the attack and swung his arm forward to gut punch the Monster. As he did, Ranger Hunter flew backward several feet before arcing down to the ground.

"Get him!" Ranger Hunter gasped as he tried to right himself.

"I got him!" Ranger Hunter-2 cried out.

Grabbing the Monster's arm as he tried to attack, Grey Ranger noticed Mutitis-2 closing in. While holding onto Ranger Hunter-2, Grey Ranger reached for a blaster on his back. Pointing it directly at Mutitis-2 while holding the blaster with one hand, he shot it directly at him. The sound of Mutitis-2 screaming in pain echoed throughout the area as Grey Ranger quickly spun around and placed the blaster directly on Ranger Hunter-2's chest.

"See ya'," He said casually.

"Uh-oh," Ranger Hunter-2 managed to say before being thrown to the other side of the plaza.

"Come on, little ranger!" Goldar-2 declared. "You can't possibly think you can take _me_ on!"

Pulling out the second cannon, Grey Ranger laughed. "Oh, but I think I _can_. I _could_ outfight you, but I think I'll just take the easy route."

Goldar-2 watched as Grey Ranger fired both blasters at him. He swung his sword to knock both blasts back at the Grey Ranger, but was shocked to find them too powerful even for him. The first blast caused his sword to fly out of his hand while the second hit him square in the chest. As the blast carried him away, he watched as the Grey Ranger got smaller and smaller in the distance before slamming into a wall.

In the Power Chamber, Billy-2 heard something from Zordon-2's tube and looked up in concern. "Zordon... are you okay?"

Zordon-2 fell to a knee in his Time Warp, breathing hard. Saba-2 ran to his side, worried.

"What's wrong!?" Saba-2 asked.

Answering both of them, Zordon-2 shook his head. "I'm... I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Just... just find the rangers before it's too late."

As Mutitis-2 attacked Grey Ranger again, Zordon-2 watched the new member of their team perform an artful kick. Then, he pulled out his blaster and shot at Mutitis-2 again. As he did, waves of pain shot through Zordon-2 like they had before.

 _I didn't get a chance to teach him about the rules to the Order of Meledon..._ Zordon-2 thought as he fell to his stomach in the sand. _He is too powerful. He'll save the city but... He's escalating the battle unintentionally. Because I didn't teach him properly... agh! I'm being affected by it. I'm losing my powers!_

Saba-2 grit his teeth. "Zordon!? What is happening!?"

"I'll explain... later... We just need to make sure... the city... is safe..." Zordon-2 stated. "Billy!? Summon Titanus and get him to destroy Lokar! Now!"

"Contacting him now," Billy-2 stated, upset he had to divert his attention away from his search for the Island of Illusion.

Meanwhile, the Grey Ranger laughed as the four Monsters struggled to pick themselves up. "Game over, you clowns."

"Not quite yet," Richie-2's voice was heard saying as he appeared in a mist of Green Morphing Energy.

"You must be the infamous Green Ranger," Grey Ranger stated. "I have the power of Zordon himself running through me. You don't stand a chance."

"Well, let's just say I got some upgrades of my own." Richie-2 replied with an arrogant smile as he pulled out his golden morpher.

Grey Ranger looked at it. He could see wires and circuits all around it. Someone had definitely done tinkering to it. Grey Ranger suddenly tensed up, worried that the Green Dragon Ranger's bite would back up the volume of his bark.

"It's morphin' time!" Richie-2 called out. "Dragonzord!"

. . .

 _ **Emotional Spectrum of Universe M54331Z-B1**_

In the place they learned was called the Island of Illusions, each Power Teen seemed to be going through a sort of trial to either conquer their Fear, or succumb to it. At first they knew not how to kick themselves out of the spell. Zack was the first to be affected, his fear of snakes getting to him and causing him to slowly vanish into the Emotional Spectrum to be absorbed by it and turned into pure Emotional Energy.

A mysterious person, however, appeared and helped teach the rangers how to conquer Fear. He was a shorter than average person named Quagmire. He played a fife and wore all green, and spoke only in rhymes. He seemed to be able to teleport to any location he wanted. He was distant at first with the Power Rangers, but after a while he opened up to them upon learning that they were not in league with the Witch Rita. He began to help and coach them along, encouraging each one when they hit their "Fear Trial" to think positiviely to overcome the great Fear.

All the while, though, Tommy's mind was preoccupied. His mind kept going back to when he had first appeared to help against Mutitis. The floating head of Lokar, when he first saw it, left him feeling drained. It wasn't that he was afraid of Lokar, but more like there was something _different_ about him. Something which affected Tommy greatly in a way he couldn't quite describe.

Lokar's laugh, for one, kept repeating in his mind over and over. The only time he wasn't preoccupied with Lokar was when he faced his own trial. It was a familiar one: fighting Putties. But, it was mixed in with a bit of his own problem, the big chip on his shoulder of having betrayed his friends. He discovered that the Putties he was facing were in fact his friends after the fact. After believing in himself, remembering how he had bested the Putties during the time the Frankenstein Monster had first appeared, he had grown confident once again in his ability to overcome adversity. But knowing that he had almost fought his teammates _again_ left him feeling guilty for his past actions. It even reminded him of the infernal _Voice_ which he had been plagued with since his escape from Rita's clutches. The same Voice which controlled and guided his movements when he was the evil pawn in Rita's game.

You'll never be accepted by them! He remembered The Voice taunting.

And as the sound of The Voice echoed in his mind, he realized something. Why he had felt so drained earlier by Lokar. Lokar's laugh was the key. It was then, right as Jason finished his own Trial, that Tommy realized that Lokar _was_ The Voice. That Rita had infused the Spirit of Lokar in the spell she used to control Tommy. That Lokar was the being who was using Tommy's body and influencing him on how to use the Green Dragon Power Coin.

As these thoughts dawned on him, Tommy and the others felt the island begin to shake. They knew not that Rita had astral projected herself into the Emotional Spectrum by channeling her Rage and had used that power to grab the Island of Illusion itself. Taking Jason's lead, Tommy morphed with the rest of his team (as once Fear lost its hold on them their morphers and communicators reappeared) and they all were able to teleport off the island right before Rita used Red Rage Energy to obliterate the island Lokar had created for her so long ago.

 _No! They escaped!_ Rita thought angrily. _No matter! Lokar will still crush them!_

. . .

 _ **Emotional Spectrum of Universe M54331Z-B2**_

The five Power Teens had landed on the Island of Illusion, but their journey was _quite_ different than that of their Temporal Twins. And it had all started with the moment they were forcibly demorphed.

"Ahh!" Zack-2 suddenly cried out, falling to the sand.

Kim-2 rushed to his body, finding it limp. "What's going on!?"

"I can't move! Help!" Zack-2 lamented.

Jase folded his arms across his chest. "Oh, no... your injury, bro. I don't think your morpher had enough time to fix it yet..."

"What does that mean!?" Zack-2 implored.

"I think... I think now your injury might be permanent," Jase stated as quickly and painlessly as he could.

"No... no! This can't be happening!" Zack-2 screamed, tears streaming down his face. "No! I'm a dancer, man! I can't lose that!"

Jase shook his head in disgust. "This... _this_ is why we can't have Zordon leading us! He left us to fend for ourselves without a team member and a new guy who doesn't know what he's doing!"

"What!?" Tommy-2 said angrily, stepping up and getting in Jase's face. "What are you talking about!? I was taking on both Goldar _and_ one of those Ranger Hunters _alone_! You were the one with Zack! _You_ were the one not strong enough to make sure this didn't happen! No one else!"

Kim-2 began crying and screaming. "Shut up! Shut up! We don't have time for this, Tommy! Leave Jase alone!"

"Guys, please stop!" Trini-2 cried out. "Please! We have to stick together!"

Suddenly, Kim-2 noticed Zack-2 begin to fade away. "What's happening!?"

"Ahh!" Zack-2 screamed. "Help! Help! What's happening!?"

And that's when Quagmire-2 suddenly appeared. He looked them over carefully, stroking his chin as he did.

"My, oh my. Rita has sent you lot here to die," He rhymed.

Jase curled his lip in anger and quickly grabbed Quagmire-2 by the throat. "Okay, Willow. Who are you?"

He tried to teleport away, but the force with which Jase was choking him caused him to drop his fife by accident. The fife was key to his Music Magic which allowed him the ability to teleport about on the island, the one thing besides his clothes he had brought with him before he was banished to the Island of Illusion.

"Help... me..." Quagmire-2 managed to say.

"Let him go!" Trini-2 demanded, running to Tommy-2 as he put his arms around her.

"Not until he answers my questions." Jase said with a sneer. "Now... who are you and what is Rita doing to my friend!?"

Quagmire-2 tried speaking, which prompted Jase to loosen his hold a bit enough to let him talk. "...henck... henck! Ugh... You are not friend's of Rita, though you still beat me as if you were a diva... I am Quagmire, and I've been stuck here as if it were a mire.

"Rita sent you here, so to be consumed by Fear. If you think positive thoughts, then you will beat her plan and tie it in knots..."

Nodding, Jase let go of Quagmire and turned to Zack-2. "C'mon, bro. You got this!"

He was fading more and more from them. Zack-2 shook his head sadly. He looked down and couldn't see his body any longer, but to him it felt the same as if he could see it. Either way he wouldn't be able to _move_ it.

"I give up, man..." Zack-2 said, crying. "I can't live my life without _dance_! I'm afraid of having to do that!"

"Don't be!" Jase barked. "Besides, you can still move around when you're morphed. You just gotta trust me. We'll get revenge and still find a way to make this work!"

"I don't know, Jase-" Zack-2 started.

"Do you trust me?" Jase interrupted.

"I mean, I-" Zack 2 began again.

"No, man. No long words or phrases," Jase said simply. "It's black or white. Yes or no. _Do you trust me_?"

Zack-2 nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Then gut up and don't let this Fear overcome you," Jase ordered. "You're not done with life yet."

The team watched in awe slowly as Zack-2 reappeared before them. Tommy-2 was quite impressed. Regardless of whether or not he liked Jase, he could definitely see that Jase knew how to motivate when he needed to, even if the methods were a bit _harsh_ to say the least.

As Kim-2 tended to Zack-2, Jase, Trini-2, and Tommy-2 turned to Quagmire-2. Jase knelt down beside him and looked him in the eyes.

"Okay, man. Listen up. I need you to tell me everything _now_ ," Jase demanded.

Quagmire-2 tried to lunge forward toward his fife, but Jase noticed the move and grabbed it first. "You want it back? Answer my questions."

Quagmire-2 frowned as he leaned against a tree. " _Fine_. But once you find out where you are I don't want you cryin'.

"You see, Rita Repulsa was on a rampage. Me and the other Resistance fighters thought we were finally going to put her in a cage. Unfortunately, though, we had underestimated our foe. She summoned a new ally, from which we became rather shy. Zordon did all he could to help us, but one by one the squad became dust."

"Zordon?" Trini-2 asked. "He's our mentor. He's the one we follow!"

"Unfortunately." Jase added with a look of disgust.

"Any friend of Zordon's is a friend of mine! My time here with him was more than fine!" Quagmire-2 revealed.

"Wait... Zordon's been here before?" Tommy-2 asked.

"This is an island in the middle of the universe's core for emotion. To get out of here requires much devotion. Devotion to overcoming Fear. It is the only way to finding the path out of here."

"But why haven't the rest of us been hit with 'Fear' like Zack has?" Trini-2 asked.

"Because I feel in each of you some other emotion that is overriding the Fear. If you guys keep this up you'll be like me: in the clear!" Quagmire-2 reported.

"And so you're free of whatever happened to Zack?" Jase inquired.

"Oh yes I am. But trying to get out of here is like trying to swim against a dam."

"Is there a way out?" Trini-2 asked.

"I have not found one. I have been here for years and years, but I think my plans for escape are all but done. Zordon was able to escape here because he had so much Will. That and his Morphing Energy helped him over the hill!"

"What hill?" Tommy-2 asked eagerly.

Quagmire-2 smiled. "The figurative hill of energy. To pass that threshold you must accure enough to push you over it tremendously."

"Huh?" Jase asked.

"He's saying that this island has a certain amount of energy, like gravity or something, keeping us here. If we can get enough power around us, though, we can all escape by having more energy with us that can break past the field keeping us here," Trini-2 explained.

"Okay, so how do we get this energy? By morphing? I already checked when we got here and my morpher is gone," Jase stated.

"It is the power of this island. Until you conquer your Fear, without your morpher you will continue to stand."

"Well I don't know, but-" Jase began before Red Morphing Energy surrounded him.

"What's going-" Quagmire-2 asked as Grey Morphing Energy engulfed him.

Suddenly, the six inhabitants of the Island of Illusion found themselves whisked away. A moment later and they were standing in the Power Chamber once again, safe from Goldar-2's spell.

"What happened!?" Kim-2 demanded, shocked.

"I was able to pinpoint your location and bypass the energy field keeping you all trapped," Billy-2 explained. "But what happened to Zack!?"

"It's your fault! And Zordon's!" Jase proclaimed. "Had we not had Billy gone for _twelve hours_ Zack wouldn't have been put in this situation!"

"What situation!?" Billy-2 demanded, still confused.

"I'm paralyzed, man!" Zack-2 said angrily.

"Oh, no..." Billy-2 stated.

A stab of guilt hit Zordon-2. "Oh, no... What have I done!?"

Saba-2 shook his head. "No. Don't you dare do that. This is not on you, okay? This is on Goldar. On Dark Specter. On the forces of evil. We knew going in things like this could happen, got it?"

"Yes, we knew... but did they? Did they truly understand the risks?" Zordon-2 asked, not feeling as badly as before ever since the Green Ranger evened the playing field against the Grey Ranger.

"And look at him..." Jase stated, shaking his head. "He doesn't even have the guts to say anything. Hey Zordon! Can you hear us!?"

In the Time Warp, Zordon-2 looked to Saba-2. "I need to address this."

"Zordon, don't do this," Saba-2 implored.

"I must." Zordon-2 said as he looked up to the hologram, causing his face to appear in the Power Chamber's tube. "Jason... I feel terribly for what happened to Zachary. If there was any way we could have avoided pulling Billy out I would have done that."

"Well, why _did_ you do that!?" Jase demanded.

"Watch the monitor behind you," Zordon-2 ordered.

The team turned and looked (Kim-2 helping Zack-2, who she and Tommy-2 had helped stretch out on a long metal which had been used earlier to infuse the newest team member with the Grey Ranger powers). They were surprised to see a new Grey Ranger battling against the Green Ranger, with Goldar-2 and his goons watching happily.

"What is this? A new ranger? Again?" Jase asked, shaking his head. "I mean, that's great and all but you really couldn't had just _told_ us? Really, Zordon?"

"You don't need to take this lip from him," Saba-2 warned.

Zordon-2 put up a hand to silence his friend. "You're right, Jason. I am sorry. I should have told you."

"What!?" Saba-2 demanded. "You are the general here, not him! He is supposed to take orders from you, not the other way around."

"There should be open dialogue," Zordon-2 whispered to Saba-2. "Not a dictatorship."

"Well, we're going back out there to help this new ranger and blow up as many of these Monsters as we can." Jase said, looking at the monitor. "And I'm glad to see Titanus pulling his weight and trying to take on that massive head thing in the sky."

"Lokar," Billy-2 mentioned.

"Whatever. Now let's all go. You, too, Billy," Jase said. "I don't want you standing around here anymore. You're on my squad and you only go off to do other stuff with _my_ permission, got it?"

Billy-2 looked up to Zordon-2 in confusion. He wasn't sure who to say yes to and which commitments he was supposed to take when it potentially interferred with things Zordon-2 believed the team needed.

"He is right, Billy. He is the one in the field. Not me," Zordon-2 stated.

"Okay..." Billy-2 replied, feeling uneasy about what was happening.

"Alright. It's morphin' time."

As the team morphed and teleported away, Saba-2 looked at Zordon-2 with great worry. "Zordon? What's happening with you?"

"I'm... I'm very much second guessing everything. I don't want to put these kids in peril. Zack just lost what was dear to him. I know we discussed before about how I don't have time to waste explaining my decisions, but I've taken it too far. I could have told them quickly something like, 'Power Chamber will be down because we are calling a new ranger'," Zordon-2 explained.

"No! We didn't know whether or not that new coin would've worked to begin with!" Saba-2 protested. "We agreed that we didn't want to get the rangers' hopes up!"

"I don't know... I just-" Zordon-2 began.

"Zordon of Eltar? Is that really you up in that tube so far?" Quagmire-2 was heard saying, finally making his presence known.

"Who is there?" Zordon-2 asked, looking for the source of the voice.

"It's your old friend. Quagmire, who did not meet his end," He said with a smile.

"Oh, my... Quagmire!?" Zordon-2 asked. "I thought you had been destroyed on that island!"

"I remember him!" Saba-2 declared. "He was the other soldier who was sucked into the Island of Despair with you when Lokar attacked!"

"It takes a lot more than that to stop me. Quagmire was never one to see a challenge but then just take a knee." Quagmire-2 said with a wink. "But what happened to you? You are now stuck in a tube?"

"It's a long story I must share with you when I have the chance," Zordon-2 stated. "But for now I must focus on my team. I hope they can defeat Lokar now once and for all."

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

As Titanus-2 continually attempted to blast Lokar-2 away, the Grey Ranger did all he could to take down the Green Ranger. He was surprised at how powerful he was, and was getting frustrated.

"You're a much better fighter than my teammates told me you were," Grey Ranger said, alluding to what Billy-2 had told him when he was being prepped to go to the fight.

"I get that a lot. But I've grown bored of playing with you." Green Ranger declared, crossing the Sword of Darkness before him with the Dragon Dagger. "Now I'm going to _end_ you by pumping you full of my new power! Yah!"

Grey Ranger did not have time to move out of the way. Green Ranger pointed the two blades at Grey Ranger and watched as a massive surge of Green Morphing Energy erupted from his Power Coin to his arms. As the energy traveled up his arms, the blades began to glow and crackle. Unfortunately, though, his morpher began to spark. Before he knew it, the Green Morphing Energy traveled back down to his morpher. Before he knew it, he was demorphed and holding no weapons.

"What!?" Richie-2 gasped.

Grey Ranger laughed. "Okay, man. Now, I could just blast you and get rid of you or you can just give up."

"I'd do what he says," Blue Unicorn Ranger stated as he and his team appeared behind Grey Ranger. "I think he means it."

"Richie! Get out of here!" Goldar-2 ordered, touching Richie-2 and teleporting him back to the Command Center. "Ranger Hunter!? Get rid of them! Other Ranger Hunter and Mutitis!? Come with me!"

"You or me?" Ranger Hunter-2 asked Ranger Hunter.

"I'll take 'em. They pushovers compared to _me_. I got this," Ranger Hunter stated. "I'll see you later."

"Okay, New Guy. Let's see if you're worth anything." Red Dragon Ranger stated as he cracked his neck.

Grey Ranger folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side. "Really? Are you for real?"

"Oh, you have no idea..." White Tiger Ranger stated, shaking his own head.

Green Lion Ranger stepped forward at them, motioning for the team to step back. "This is personal, guys. I got this."

The six rangers watched as Green Lion Thunder Ranger rushed at the Monster who broke his neck. He was like a wild animal. Pure Rage fueled each hit. Everytime he made contact with Ranger Hunter, massive dents were made in the Monster's armor. As Zack-2 attacked, lightning began to form around him. The sound of Thunder began to be heard from Zack-2's movements.

"He's fully tapping into the power..." Billy-2 stated. "Morphenomenal!"

"There's nothinng 'morphenomenal' about what he's going through." Kim-2 said with a sneer. "This is _revenge_."

Yellow Griffin Ranger turned and pointed up at Lokar-2 fighting Titanus-2. "Guys? I think we need to do something to help."

"Right. Billy and I have been working on something Zordon is calling an Ultrazord," Tommy-2 revealed. "We believe we can combine our zords together to ride on Titanus."

Jase nodded slowly. "Finally some good news from you two. Alright then. We need Thunder Dinozord power! Now!"

As Zack-2 continued to beat on the weaker of the two Ranger Hunters, the Thunder Dinozords appeared (with Jase having Zordon-2 pilot the Green Lion remotely from the Power Chamber). When they were in their cockpits, Jase looked to the White Tiger Thunder Zord.

"Alright, smart guy. What's the next move?" Jase asked.

 _Well at least that's better than new guy..._ Tommy-2 thought bitterly.

"We need to have the core four zords outside of yours attach to my zord," Tommy-2 explained. "We'll then hop onto Titanus' back."

"Your zord would then open up and fit gently on top of the new Megazord's back, the top of the mouth of your zord resting on the head of the White Tiger Thunder Dino Megazord," Billy-2 further explained.

"Whatever. As long as it gets the job done," Jase stated.

And it began. The four zords combined with the White Ranger's zord to form the White Tiger Thunder Dino Megazord. Then, with the Grey Ranger communicating with Titanus-2, the new Megazord found its way to ride as Titanus-2's pilot on its back. All the while, Lokar-2 tried to destroy them with massive amounts of Dark Magic.

"You can't defeat me! I am great and mighty!" Lokar-2 declared.

"I don't think so. Ultra-Thunderzord engage!" Jase proclaimed as his zord leapt through the air and landed behind the white megazord, attaching on as Billy-2 had explained.

Suddenly being in the cockpit with the other five rangers, having been teleported their by Zordon-2's programming, Jase looked around. "You guys ready?"

"Let's toast this ghost," Kim-2 stated.

"Ready, fire!" They all cried out in unison.

"This is pathetic! You will never- ah! Ahhh!" Lokar-2 screamed as the massive attack hit him.

From the Power Chamber, the trio there watched as Lokar-2 exploded. They each could not believe how they had finally seen the end of Lokar-2.

Quagmire-2 stood in silence for a moment before speaking. "The nightmare is finally done. When it comes to that villain, good has won."

Meanwhile, as the rangers left their zords, they saw the Green Lion Ranger lift Ranger Hunter by the neck. He was squeezing it as tightly as he could.

"That's enough, Zack," Tommy-2 proclaimed.

"We're here to protect the planet, not torture anything," Billy-2 agreed.

"This isn't the ranger way," Trini-2 chimed in.

Ignoring the others, Kim-2 folded her arms across her chest. "Do it, Zack. It's the only way you can start to have real closure."

Looking to Jase, Zack-2 paused. The Red Ranger then slowly lifted up his hand and gave Zack-2 a thumbs up. Nodding, understanding what his best friend was telling him, Zack-2 looked back at Ranger Hunter and began to squeeze tighter.

"Before I _kill_ you, you'll know what you _did_ to me!" Zack-2 said in a fury as he squeezed as tightly as he could and broke Ranger Hunter's neck.

"Agh! Agh!" Ranger Hunter gasped in pain as he lay on the floor, unable to move.

"This is disgusting..." Trini-2 stated.

"I'm out of here. Let's go." Tommy-2 said, shaking his head in horror.

"This is wrong, Zack. And you know it." Billy-2 said as he turned to follow the other two.

"What about you, New Guy?" Jase asked the Grey Ranger. "You think this is 'too much'?"

Grey Ranger stood in silence for a moment. He looked from Ranger Hunter, to Green Lion, to Red Dragon, and then back to Ranger Hunter. Exhaling slowly, he pulled out his Morphing Blaster and pointed it at Ranger Hunter.

"It's not your place to hand out terrible consequences like these." Grey Ranger said as he pulled the trigger. "You guys are _messed up_."

As the Ranger Hunter was put out of his misery, Grey Ranger jogged to catch up to the other four rangers. As he did, Trini-2 turned to him.

"I am sorry for your less than stellar welcome to the team," She stated.

"Yeah, those guys seem to excel at that," Tommy-2 agreed.

"Well, I'm glad to have been picked to help save the world," Grey Ranger stated. "And I'm also glad to be doing it with at least some of the people on this team not being sociopaths."

"Good to hear what side of the fence you're on," Tommy-2 said. "My name's Tommy by the way."

"I'm Trini."

"And you know me already," Billy-2 stated.

"So what's your name?" Tommy-2 asked.

Stopping, Grey Ranger unclipped his helmet and slowly pulled it off. "My name is Adam Park. Nice to meet you guys."

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

"Watch out!" Striker Russia cried out as a blast from Rita Repulsa soared through the air.

"Whoa!" Striker Japan screamed, narrowly jumping out of the way of the blast.

"Stick together, everyone!" Striker American ordered. "We gotta get that bomb to take that Monster down!"

"I'm close! I can get to it!" Striker Kenya proclaimed, sprinting ahead.

"Watch out!" Striker Japan yelled again.

It was too late. A blast from Lokar hit Striker Kenya head on. His suit erupted in sparks of Morphing Energy before he crumpled to the ground, as limp as could be.

"Keep going!" Striker Russia screamed as he ran to the fallen ranger. "I'll stay with him. We leave no one behind!"

"Come on, Isamu!" Angela ordered, leaving Aleksei to care for Mr. Arusei. "Just keep doing a good job of spotting the shots coming for us!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Isamu stated.

"Ma'am? Really!?" Angela asked. "I'm not that old, am I?"

"Watch out!" Isamu yelled, leaping forward and pushing Angela out of the way.

As she fell to the ground, she watched as a blast from Lokar hit Striker Japan. After a bloodcurdling scream escaped his lungs, Isamu Takenaka fell to the debris covered street unconscious.

"No! Isamu!" Angela screamed.

"Just go! Go!" She heard Captain Mitchell scream into her helmet.

"No! We don't leave anyone behind!" Angela proclaimed.

"We're teleporting both Kenya and Japan off the field. Aleksei will be joining you soon!" Mitchell reported.

As Striker Russia appeared next to her, he folded his arms across his chest. "Why do we not teleport to the bomb?"

At that, Dr. Harlen's voice was heard. "Because the bomb is unstable after that hit Rita used to get it out of Iron Man's hands. I'm afraid if we do anything near it, like teleport, it'll set it off prematurely and destroy anything in is path with three city blocks!"

"Great," Angela muttered. "Okay, let's go!"

The two kept running, seeing the blinking red light get closer and closer to them on their radar. Then, unfortunately, a squad of Putty Patrollers appeared to block their way. As they did, they spotted two villains rushing to get the bomb. They did not recognize them, but to everyone else in Angel Grove they were known as Squatt and Baboo.

"Come on! Once we save the bomb Rita will promote us for _sure_!" Squatt stated.

"Oh, goody! I could always go for more money to by some yummy eggs for breakfast!" Baboo answered excitedly.

"I don't know what these things are, but I will eliminate them." Striker Russia said simply as he began to brutally beat down the Putties.

As he did, Angela decided to use him to distract the enemies. She rushed ahead, leaping over Squatt and Baboo to land next to the bomb.

"I got it!" She cried out triumphantly as she picked it up.

"Ah, man!" Squatt lamented.

"No fair!" Baboo agreed.

"I don't think so!" Scorpina suddenly said, teleporting in from seemingly out of nowhere and kicking Striker America in the stomach.

As the bomb flew out of Striker America's hands, Scorpina smiled. _That should show Rita how loyal I am to her!_

Gaining her composure, Striker America attempted to rush ahead to get the bomb. Unfortunately, Scorpina jumped into her path and blocked her way.

"Nuh-unh! I don't think so." Scorpina said with a wink before using he scythe to slash at Striker America.

"No!" Angela cried out, falling to her back. "The bomb..."

"No worries, mademoiselle," A voice was suddenly heard saying into her helmet. "I can, how you say, save ze day!"

"What!?" Angela gasped.

"Miss Fairweather? Meet Mr. Travert, also known as Striker France," Captain Mitchell stated, a smile able to be heard on his voice.

"Haha!" Striker France declared, grabbing the bomb and sprinting toward the massive Mutitis.

He had just recently been flown out from his office in France, having been briefed by GA Rex himself as Captain Mitchell had later found out. After receiving his morpher from Dr. Harlen (who was surprised at how quickly Travert seemed to pick up the skills needed to use the morphing equipment), he had leapt into battle ready to help.

"I need a boost!" Striker France cried out.

"I got your back." Iron Man stated, hearing the audio request and swooping down.

As he picked Striker France up and flew up high, he looked down at him. "Sheesh, I'm glad I don't have _that_ costume."

"Eh, it gets ze job done, no?" Striker France asked, smiling behind his mask. "I will see you on ze other side!"

Letting go of Iron Man, Striker France sailed down an landed where Hybrid had tried to plant the bomb before. Firmly planting the bomb in place, Striker France exhaled heavily.

"Okay! You are good!" He yelled as he did a front flip off the Monster.

"Now!" Agent Coulson yelled, ordering his men to detonate.

The three remaining Striker Rangers gathered together as they saw the explosion. They weren't totally surprised when the Monster was seen to be still standing, but it was disheartening nonetheless.

"Alright guys! Wrap it up!" Agent Coulson was suddenly heard saying on an open frequency. "We've gotten the all clear to head out!"

"Sounds good." Hybrid said as she swung her way back to the Avenger Jet. "We'll be in soon."

"Finally. I'm sick of Angel Grove and all the weird stuff that happens here." US Agent stated as he made his way to climb the side of a skyscraper.

"Sounds great. Everyone get some rest. We meet back up with the rest of the crew tomorrow morning to make a new search party to find Mr. Wayne and his little friends," Iron Man stated.

Meanwhile, Angela looked around in confusion. "Why are we going? We can't leave the city unprotected!"

"We're not," Captain Mitchell stated. "We got surges of the other Power Rangers appearing back on the radar. We'll let them handle the rest of this. We have to get ready for Aradon's next attack."

Looking around, the three saw the already glowing Megazords begin to come back to life. They watched in awe as the Dragonzord split apart and landed atop the Megazord to create a new and powerful combination. They watched in awe as with one hit they destroyed Mutitis.

"That's because of you guys," Mitchell was heard saying again. "Without you guys weakening that Monster who knows how long it would have taken. You all did well. Congratulations."

Seeing the massive Titanus roll into the city, Striker America looked to the two newest members of her team. "Well, you heard him! Let's get back up there and prepare for our next assignment!"

Striker France folded his arms and laughed. "Oh, boy! This is going to be one _interesting_ assignment!"

. . .

Tommy sat alone in the park. As he sat crosslegged behind a small group of trees, hidden from anyone watching, he tried meditating to get his mind clear again. The battle he had just endured hit him much harder than anyone would had thought just from looking at him.

When they first arrived back from the Island of Illusion, they found themselves in their zords. Jason had called out for the same formation they had when in Ultrazord mode, save without Titanus. It ended up being a fanstastic plan, for the power that combination had was able to knock Mutitis out easily (easy for them, at least, for they knew not what happened beforehand to get Mutitis that weak for them). When in that formation, however, Tommy found himself in the main cockpit with everyone else. That presented a problem.

Oh, Tommy. The Voice aka Lokar said to Tommy. _attacked_ and nearly _destroyed_ them!

Quiet, Lokar! Tommy had thought back.

Ah, so you know my identity! Lokar thought as the Ultrazord had been forming. _millions_ of years!

Tommy thought with a passion.

 _I_ did!? Ha! That wasn't me! It was _your_ body! _Your_ movements! I just guided you along the way but in the end, you _chose_ to follow my counsels! Lokar proclaimed.

Lies! Tommy yelled in his mind.

 _friends_! Priceless! Lokar thought right as the blast hit him.

Tommy thought happily as he heard Lokar scream in pain.

Right then, though, he heard Kimberly proclaim that Lokar had survived the blast and had gotten away. Tommy felt a knot appear in his stomach as the words were allowed to sink in.

Lokar asked incredulously.

 _never_ get them to forget that! Lokar's voice had been "heard" saying in his mind before Lokar retreated for a time.

 _I'm redeemed..._ Tommy thought as he sat, meditating. _I have been forgiven and accepted. I am a Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger. I am the Green Ranger, soldier for the light. I fight for Zordon to help save everyone who needs my help._

Lokar was suddenly heard in his mind.

Tommy felt cold sweat run down his brow. His throat felt tight, and his mouth was dry. He could feel his heart beating at a million miles per hour.

 _I have to beat this... I have to!_ Tommy thought over and over again. _Because if I don't, I'll never be able to be the ranger I know I'm meant to be._

"Hello, Tommy," Lokar was suddenly hear saying, as if he was right there next to his ear.

"Ah!" Tommy screamed, looking around. "That... that was just an illusion... it had to be... right?"


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: The Rockstar

**Chapter Twenty-One: The Rockstar**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Goldar-2 stood before Finster-2 and Mutitis-2, pointing his sword at them. "While Ranger Hunter is out avenging the destruction of the other Ranger Hunter, you two are to work on something else for me!"

"Rrr..." Mutitis-2 grunted.

"What is it, Goldar?" Finster-2 asked, feeling fearful of what Goldar-2 might demand of him.

"Mutitis? You will come with me to the Moon Base to work on a special mission I have for you," Goldar-2 instructed. "Finster? Work on finding out where Zordon is hiding. I know it can only be him pumping out these new Power Rangers."

"I will work on it." Finster-2 stated as Goldar-2 teleported away, with Mutitis-2 in tow.

With the two gone, Finster-2 began working through the codes in the Command Center. The files he found had several documents in it. Obscure projects and designs Zordon had thought of but hadn't done anything with for years. Mega Winger, Shark Cycles, some edifice called Terra Venture, some zord project listed under "Rescue"... the list went on and on. It felt like hours before Finster-2 had found something relevant. Something called the "Power Chamber".

He scoured those files. The information in them was rich. It seemed as if Zordon had a back up, secret base in case the Command Center was ever compromised. The only thing was that Finster-2 was having problems seeing _where_ the Power Chamber was.

 _I see nothing outside of this area that could house such a treasure trove of power!_ Finster-2 thought. _How is he hiding it?_

That's when it clicked. Changing the search parameters to _include_ the Command Center, a hit popped up. Right there under their noses, directly beneath the stolen Command Center, was the Power Chamber. Finster-2 had found the Thunder Power Rangers' secret base.

. . .

Tommy-2 sat, holding Trini-2's hand at a table in the Youth Center. The past few days since the latest attack on the city had brought them closer than ever. They had professed their feelings one for another, partially due to how hard things were dealing with the other half of their team. The animosity from Jase, Kim-2, and Zack-2 were growing to be too much for them to handle, and knowing they had each other to lean on made the experience more tolerable.

"Hey guys." Billy-2 said, waving to them as he and Adam-2 entered the Youth Center. "I'm just taking Adam on a tour here."

"It's an awesome city you guys have here." Adam-2 said with a gentle smile, taking a seat across from Trini-2 and Tommy-2. "It's definitely going to help me with not missing Stone Canyon as much."

"How has it been for your parents?" Trini-2 asked. "Aren't they concerned that you just up and left to move here?"

"I took care of that." Billy-2 answered with a smile. "I used the Power Chamber to create paperwork saying Adam won a presidential scholarship for his Martial Arts. It says he will be here studying for a few months. When the time for the expiration date comes, I'll make up some excuse to get him to stay longer."

Adam-2 nodded. "It's not so bad. Because of the communicator I can teleport home whenever I want to see my family. To not be too suspicious I only go on weekends, but it helps."

Tommy-2 placed a hand on Adam-2's shoulder. "Thank you so much for this sacrifice, man. It means a ton."

"Of course!" Adam-2 declared. "This is the world we're trying to save! I feel honored to have been chosen."

As Adam spoke, Kim-2 walked into the Youth Center hanging off Jase's arm. Zack-2 was nowhere to be seen, having basically boarded himself in his room due to the depression he was feeling for having lost his ability to walk. It was a tragic thing for him, but his aggressive attitude made it impossible for any of the "non-aggressive" members of the team the ability to go and try to comfort him.

As they entered, Bulk-2 spotted Jase and laughed. Following close behind, Skull-2 watched as his best friend approached Jase and Kim-2.

"Hey, _loser_ ," Bulk-2 stated. "Haven't seen ya' around here in a while. Guess what? I'm planning on getting my bench press record _back_."

"Hehehe! Yeah! Getting it _back_ ," Skull-2 echoed.

Jase stared at Bulk-2 for a moment. The memories he had inherited from Jason of Timeline B1 were his initial reactions, feeling inferior to Bulk and wondering if he could really measure up. The man who he actually _was_ , though, fought hard to overcome those initial feelings. To him, someone needed to _earn_ his respect. Until then, they were nothing but worms in his way to greatness. Without a second thought, Jase thrust an arm out and grabbed Bulk-2 in a chokehold.

"Chak... agh!" Bulk-2 screamed, his airway cut off.

"Bulkie!" Skull-2 cried out in surprise.

Red Morphing Energy, unseen to the naked eye, coursed through Jase as he consciously used it to augment his abilities. Although he had stopped visiting Zordon-2 for their early morning meetings about the nature of the Morphing Grid, Jase had continued in his own time doing the drills Zordon-2 had been teaching him. Although not at the level of the Morphing Masters of old, Jase had a decent hold on the Morphing Grid and could manipulate it enough to give him the necessary strength to easily overpower Bulk-2.

"Listen here, Porky..." Jase sneered, the Red Emotional Energy of Rage adding beginning to course through him as well. "I hate you. _Everyone_ hates you. You will _never_ be anything but the butt of our jokes. We don't laugh with you but _at_ you. And if I wanted to, I could snap your neck in half right here, right now. Do you understand?"

"Gugh..." Bulk-2 tried replying.

" _Do you understand_!?" Jase screamed in Bulk-2's face, spit flying at him.

Bulk-2 could only manage a slight nod. Yellow Energy permeated his entire being. Never before had he been as afraid of anything as he was at that moment. He knew if he lost his concentration any more so than he already was that he'd wet himself. And at that moment, he didn't need any other excuse to be humiliated, which thing he didn't realized until then was an important piece to his character. He didn't realize until right then how much his public appearance mattered, paradoxically causing his reputation to worsen with each desperate attempt to be accepted by his peers. He deep down knew how inferior his intelligence was compared to the others in his grade, and knew he was never taken seriously. To hear that coming from Jase, though, and in the manner that the message was being delivered felt to Bulk-2 as if it were someone cutting the message into his brain with a knife, so deeply that the scar would never fully disappear, let alone heal.

"Now leave here now before I kill you," Jase ordered bluntly. "I _never_ want to see you here again."

Billy-2 and the gang stared at the sight, shocked. Although they had been feeling ostracized by Jase and the others on their team, this was something completely different. This was, to each of them, _pure evil_. It didn't matter how much Bulk-2 antagonized them... they never wished anything badly on them. Especially not to threaten to _murder_ them. The very use of words like _kill, death,_ and _murder_ were very taboo to their culture (just as it was in Timeline B1), and for Jase to say that to someone as relatively harmless as Bulk-2 was mind boggling.

"Our last battle..." Billy-2 began. "Jase gave Zack the okay to _torture_ that Monster... It's starting to seep into our normal lives."

"We can't have this... We're all on the same page, right?" Trini-2 said, her expression worn from the stress that moment had given her.

Adam-2 shook his head. "Guys... I'm new here, okay? I don't feel comfortable making decisions like this."

Tommy-2 smiled at Adam-2. "I understand how you feel. I'm not too much older than you on this team. But... this is your team, too. Time doesn't matter. You need to make a decision. Just like I do. I agree with Billy and Trini: We need to do something about those three and do it _now_."

Adam-2 sighed, trying to fight through his natural shyness. "Fine... Yes, we need to deal with this. I can't see our team being successful with their attitudes."

Billy-2 glanced over. As Skull-2 helped the sobbing Bulk-2 out of the Youth Center, he noted Kim-2 laughing as she kissed a grinning Jase. He overheard Jase say something crass about the two he'd just bullied, then boasting about how "awesome" he was to "finally" show those two who was boss. He hadn't even noticed it, but at that moment Billy-2 was clenching both fists as tightly as he could. He was angry. It was what many called righteous anger, but in the end... it was still anger nonetheless. And it was all directed at Jase.

Billy-2 nodded. "Yes... this ends here."

As Billy-2 said that, Jase furrowed his brow. Not because he had heard his team conspiring against him, because he hadn't. It was because he suddenly felt as if he hadn't driven the point to Bulk-2 enough. Silently but quickly, he made his way over to Bulk-2 as he was almost out of the area. He tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to stop leaning on Skull-2 and turn to see who had tapped him. As he turned, Jase gave him a quick punch to the face before grabbing his arm. With a quick movement he snapped Bulk-2's arm, breaking it.

"Ahhhh!" Bulk-2 screamed.

"Master Jason!" One of his students who had been at the Juice Bar cried out, shocked and scared. "What are you doing!? I thought you were only supposed to fight in self-defense!"

Jase shrugged, pushing the screaming Bulk-2 away from him so he fell onto his back. "That _was_ self defense. I'm defending myself from ever having to see that rotund mess ever again. Remember that the next time you're ever in a similar situation. Class dismissed."

As Jase laughed, the ranger teens watched the scene in horror. They were afraid that if they tried to approach Jase that he'd attack them. He seemed so unpredictable to them at that point that they each, independently of each other, wondered if he'd go so far as to morph and fight them in public. But one thing was clear: they needed to act on this before they did anything else.

Meanwhile, Richie-2 happened to have stopped by the Youth Center to check on Kaplan-2. Although he had effectively shut Alphabet Soup down in Angel Grove, Richie-2 was still curious to see what Kaplan-2's experiments would do for him in his endeavors to take Earth for himself. He was ecstatic to have been able to witness Jase's horrible actions in person.

"This... oh this!" Richie-2 exclaimed as he watched Jase break Bulk-2's arm. "This is more than I could have hoped for! I was hoping to be able to use the team's division against them, but... this is _perfection_! They've gift wrapped my plan for me! Hahaha!"

Kaplan-2, in the meantime, sat in silence as he watched Richie-2 essentially speaking to himself. He was horrified, not knowing what to do or what to say. He knew how Richie-2 had been "disposing" of those agents of Alphabet Soup who crossed him or said the wrong thing at the wrong time (sometimes for even just breathing too loudly). He didn't want to end up with their same fate. To his dismay, Richie-2 turned his attention to him to ask him a question.

"You're still planted as Angel Grove High's principal, right?" Richie-2 asked.

Gulping, Kaplan-2 nodded. "Suh... sir, yes sir..."

Smirking at the obvious Fear Kaplan-2 had for him, Richie-2 took two steps forward and patted Kaplan-2 on the shoulder. He could see how stressed the doctor was at having him there, and Richie-2 didn't want him to think he was going to lose his Life anytime soon. Richie-2 still had things for Kaplan-2 to do before he did anything to him.

"Good... I need you to call both Jase and Kim-2 to your office. You're going to expel them for what they just did to Bulk-2," Richie-2 stated. "I mean, that'd probably happen _anyway_ in a normal school. You have precedence. Now get on with it. I'm going to make sure Jase loses _everything_... Hehehe..."

. . .

Goldar-2 stared at Mutitis-2. He pointed his sword at the Monster and shot a blast at him. Mutitis-2 quickly rolled out of the way and shot another blast at Goldar-2, albeit a weak one which would only cause Goldar-2 to stagger back.

The gold plated warrior laughed as the blast hit him. "Yes... yes! Good! So the other me will attack you just like that. Make sure you aim your attack just like that and up the power! Ah-hahaha! That twin of mine won't stand a chance!"

"Rwoar!" Mutitis-2 grunted as his response, all but brain dead.

"Yes... Soon, you will travel to his Time and assassinate him! And then _I_ will be the _only_ Goldar left to rule the universe!"

. . .

Rose-2 stared on as Richie-2 stepped onto the platform. As Agent Bennet-2 gave her the okay, she pushed a button on her console. Green Morphing Energy erupted from the machines and hit Richie-2. He found it odd how the Morphing Energy didn't hurt him, figuring his Power Morpher was what was allowing him to have the power flow through him instead of injure him. Ready to embrace the next step in his evolution as the most powerful weapon on Earth, Richie-2 pulled out his morpher and thrust it before him.

"Dragonzord!"

He morphed into the Green Ranger. As he did, the morpher began to spark. His power suit blinked in and out before the machinery pumping Morphing Energy into him began to explode. Within a few moments, the machines died down, leaving the Green Ranger standing on the platform, the same as he was before the experiment.

"No!" He screamed, summoning the Sword of Darkness. "What went wrong!?"

Rose-2 frantically pulled up the information of what had occurred during the attempt to upload the power up she had created for Richie-2. After a quick glance, she saw what she believed was the main problem.

"Director Mendoza, sir?" Her little girl voice was heard saying over the stereo system connected to her microphone from the room she was in, watching the scene from a distance. "It seems as if your power is connected to some sort of separate object. If my calculations are correct, it is somewhere on the Moon and it is not only blocking the power up, but... but it is slowly siphoning your powers from your Power Coin."

"What!?" Green Ranger demanded, thrusting a fist into the air in anger. "How!? Rrr... If this is some game Goldar is playing, he's gonna pay! Is there anything we can do!?"

"We will need some sort of intermediary object to negate this other object. But it will need to be something extraordinarily powerful," Rose-2 stated. "Nothing from this planet. It would need to be something... supernatural, like your morpher."

Grunting in anger, Green Ranger turned around and stabbed Agent Bennet-2 in the stomach out of anger. Pulling the blade out, causing Bennet-2 to fall to his knees as he passed away to the Afterlife, he looked up to Rose-2 and stared at her through the glass separating their two rooms. He pointed the bloody Sword of Darkness at her as he stared.

"You find me something _now_!" He ordered. "I'm going to the Moon to check on this thing you are telling me about. By the time I get back... you'd better have an answer or _else_!"

Rose swallowed hard as Green Ranger vanished in a cloud of Green Morphing Energy. Fearing for her Life, she began to go through Dr. Harlen's database to find _anything_ which could help power the Green Ranger up, while keeping her alive and out of his fury.

. . .

Goldar-2 slowly made his way out through the door which led to his Dark Dimension. He had just sent Mutitis-2 to his secret mission and was feeling good about soon being the only Goldar. As he stepped into the hallway he felt a massive blast hit him. Morphing Energy sparks erupted from the impact, throwing him against the wall next to the entry point. Clutching at his stinging chest, he looked up to see Green Ranger menacingly making his way toward Goldar-2. The normally large and floppy shield had already hardened, Richie-2's mindset being that of attack.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Goldar-2 demanded.

"Why don't you tell _me_ , traitor!?" Green Ranger screamed, rushing forward and putting the blade of his Dragon Dagger up to Goldar-2's throat.

"What are you _talking_ about!?" Goldar-2 shouted.

"My scientists found out you have something attached to my Power Coin!" Richie-2 revealed, digging the blade a little deeper into Goldar-2's exposed blue flesh. "It is sucking the power out of me!"

Goldar-2 stared at Green Ranger for a moment before something clicked in his head. "Oh! Yes... the Green Candle! That wasn't me! Rita did it right after she chose you! During the power transfer that bonded you to your Power Coin she took some of your essense and bonded it to some sort of Magic wax! I'd forgotten about it! I promise! We're on the same side! I need you at full power and don't want to have you at half strength!"

"Why should I believe you!?" Richie-2 screamed. "Everyone around me is constantly bringing me down and lying to me!"

"I could had destroyed you earlier! I was the one who told you about the Sword of Darkness and it bonding you to Rita! I was the one who helped you bring her down and after that, I let you run around to get your revenge on your dumb government!" Goldar-2 insisted.

"Then... show me where this candle is!" Green Ranger demanded.

Goldar-2 nodded. It didn't take too long, for Rita-2 had left it in her room and hadn't had the chance to move it before her untimely demise. Stepping into her room, Richie-2 demorphed and stepped toward the totem siphoning his powers.

"What is this?" Richie-2 asked.

"It somehow bonded you to Rita," Goldar-2 said angrily. "I'd completely forgotten about it... she had it in case you defected against her, to slowly take your powers back for herself and reassign it at her own planning. I believe with her destruction it triggered something that began the draining. I... I don't know how to stop it."

Richie-2 laughed. "You don't need to. I have a think tank to do that for me. I'll be back..."

Goldar-2 watched as Richie-2 instamorphed into the Green Ranger once again and grabbed the Green Candle. As he vanished in a cloud of Morphing Energy, Goldar-2 sighed and plopped down onto Rita-2's bed. He was tired, trying to make his army happy while still getting his plans into motion. Misattributing Rita's headaches to the stress of the job rather than a combination of spells cast on her by Bansheera, Lord Zedd, and the Ghost of Darkness over the years he nodded to himself slowly, thinking that he finally understood why Rita always had headaches.

. . .

"Director Mendoza is here!" Gasped Mora-2. "Have you figured anything out!?"

"No! I haven't! How could I!?" Rose-2 countered. "Dr. Harlen doesn't seem to have _anything_ in here that fits the bill!"

"Please! I don't him to... you know..." Mora-2 let her sentence trail off, but they both knew what she meant.

"What do you want me to do!? Harlen has _nothing_!" Rose-2 insisted, tears welling up in her eyes as she heard Richie-2's voice approaching their room from the hallway.

"Well... don't look in Harlen's files then!" Mora-2 blurted out. "Isn't there someone else!?"

"There's General of the Army Rex, but-" Rose-2 began.

"But nothing! He's not the head of us anymore!" Mora-2 exclaimed. "This isn't about us or Alphabet Soup! It's about _our lives_! Go through his files!"

As Rose-2 began scouring the files, Richie-2 continued to walk in the hall. He had with him an assortment of former government agents, all strong armed by Richie-2 to continue working for him lest he destroy them and then their families. Each of them hated Richie-2 deep down, but couldn't think of a way to get themselves out of their situation. Each of them... except Agent Mike Corbett-2.

Mike-2 stood directly behind Richie-2. With each step they took, he imagined attacking the evil ranger and taking him out before he could morph. He hated him, and hated knowing that his family was in danger because of his occupation. The person he felt the most badly for was his little brother Leo. He didn't want him to grow up in a world where people like Richie-2 ruled and called the shots. Mike-2 hadn't joined the government to allow such things to happen. He had wanted to help ensure the freedoms he believed in would be upheld. Instead, he learned about how deep the censorship was rooted in the United States. How Lex Luthor and those after him had created a government of _Fear_ and _corruption_. _Greed_. How there were organizations like the Men in Black who would go so far as messing with people's neurochemistry to keep them quiet, to "help" them forget that which the government didn't want them to see. He had helped GA Rex in the testing of _children_ for Alphabet Soup. Like so many others, he hoped he could make differences. He had convinced himself how Rex may have had unethical ways of doing things but in the end it was for the greater good and the ends would justify the means.

With Richie-2, though? After he had assassinated McKnight-2 and the majority of those who were devoutly loyal to him, Mike-2 had felt completely defeated. Helpless. But, at that moment, Mike-2 realized that it was all about to change. He would no longer just sit by and allow Richie-2 threaten him and his family. Right then... Mike-2 decided he was going to do something about it.

As they winded a corner, Mike-2 quickly pulled out his blaster and pointed it at the back of Richie-2's head. Three of those with him saw what he was doing and did nothing. They hoped in their souls that he would plant a blast right in the back of their "director's" head. Another, however, had so deluded himself into following Richie-2 to save his family that he did not realize that Mike-2's actions would have secured his freedom. Crying out, this deluded agent pushing Mike-2's arm up and caused him to just sear the top of Richie-2's left ear.

"You idiot!" Mike-2 gasped.

Before anyone could react, Richie-2 instamorphed and summoned the Sword of Darkness. He roared in again and wheeled on Mike-2. Mike-2 cried out in pain as he felt the blade sink into his flesh. It burned, largely to do with the insane amount of Dark Magic pulsing out of the Sword of Darkness into him.

"You... you will pay for this!" Green Ranger screamed as he dived the blade deeper into Mike-2's shoulder. "I will make you watch as I slaughter your family before I destroy you!"

"N... n... as you wish, my master," Mike-2 found himself saying.

Green Ranger could not help but throw his head back in shock. "Huh?"

"If that is your desire, I must comply," Mike-2 replied, a flash of dark green light erupting from his eyes as he spoke.

Suddenly, the Morphing and Magic Grids sent information into his mind. Richie-2 felt some... odd connection to Mike-2. It felt as if it was stemming from the Sword of Darkness itself. Confused, Green Ranger leaned in closer to Mike-2.

"Agent... Corbett, correct?"

He nodded. "That is my name, sir."

"Hmm..." Richie-2 stated, taking the blade out of Mike-2's arm and releasing him. "Attack me."

"No. I won't do that. You are my master," Mike-2 replied.

Green Ranger then looked to the soldier who had saved him. "Give your firearm to Corbett."

"Sir yes sir." The man complied, handing the weapon to Mike-2.

"Corbett? Kill the man who handed you the blaster," Green Ranger ordered.

"Wait, wh-!?" The agent began.

"On your order." Mike-2 replied, pointing and firing the weapon straight into the agent's face.

Green Ranger stared at the Sword of Darkness intently. "This... this bond we have must be the same bond Rita tried to put over me before Goldar saved me... Well, this could be useful!"

Turning around, Green Ranger stabbed another of the agents in the shoulder as he had done with Mike-2. He laughed as the agent cried out in pain, waiting for the Dark Magic to bind them together as had happened with Mike-2. After a few moments with nothing happening but the pleas from the wounded agent, Richie-2 angrily pulled the blade out.

"Hmph. It didn't work... maybe only one at a time?" Richie-2 wondered outloud. "Agent Corbett? Kill her."

Turning around and making his way to Rose-2's room, he smiled behind his visor as he heard a blaster shot which ended the pleas of the agent he had attempted to bind with. Within a few moments, right as he opened the door to Rose-2's room, Mike-2 had joined them again.

"Ortiz?" Green Ranger asked, staring at the girl who was sitting behind her computer screen. "Your time is up. What do you have for me?"

Rose-2 looked at the group before her. The agents standing around Green Ranger all looked pale, as if they'd been through an experience that had left them fearing for their lives (which was the case). All except the one who Rose-2 thought _should_ had been fearful, the one she didn't know was Mike Corbett-2. Despite the trail of blood down his left arm from the bloody wound in his shoulder, he looked as calm and as tranquil as could be.

Mora-2 noted, meanwhile, the blood splatter on Green Ranger's Dragon Shield and deduced correctly that it was from two different attacks based on the splatter patterns. She figured one was Mike-2 and the other was from whoever the recipient of the blaster sound she had heard from the hallway. In a round about way her next thought was actually correct: she guessed that Richie-2 had done some sort of proof of loyalty and Mike-2 had passed while the other agent had not. She didn't know, however, that mind control was oddly involved.

Gulping, Rose-2 nodded and turned her monitor toward Green Ranger. "Yuh... yes, sir, Director Mendoza. I... i have hear something from General of the Army Rex's files himself."

"Oh... I didn't know we still had access to those! Brilliant!" Green Ranger exclaimed, stepping forward excitedly to stare at the screen. As he did, Rose-2 stole a quick glance with Mora-2, mouth the words "thank you" to her.

Mike-2 stepped forward himself, ignoring the pain of his wound while looking of his new master's shoulder. "What is that?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but GA Rex named the file as a 'Quasar Saber'. I... I don't know how Rex knows so much about it, but the file is quite in depth," Rose-2 stated. "Rex mapped out that there is some portal floating outside of Earth made by Rita Repulsa herself and that it leads to a planet called Mirinoi that is galaxies away from here. On there is this sword. Looking over it... it is immensely powerful. I did some preliminary calculations and... it should definetly be enough to allow you to bypass the item which was interferring with your Power Morpher and allow our upgrade to work. I... I would just need the item to bond it to your Power Coin."

"This is _perfect_ ," Green Ranger stated, the Orange Energy of Greed beginning to flow through him.

"But sir... I don't know how accurate this info is," Rose-2 said. "I... I don't know how Rex would have even been able to know _any_ of this."

Green Ranger folded his arms across his shielded chest. "Rex has seemed to know quite a lot that he shouldn't have known. I'll check the veracity of that file, don't you worry about that. Corbett?"

"Yes, sir?"

"You're coming with me. You're gonna help me become a rockstar! It's time for us to go hunting for this... _Quasar Saber_."

. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Clark Fairweather grunted as he reached up, trying to grab hold of the next ledge. He found himself climbing the side of a very steep canyon wall and without much in the way of safety gear. At least, not as much as he would've liked for how alone he was.

He let out a sigh of relief as his hand gripped the notch. Focusing, he continued his climb. It was long and treacherous, but he knew the end result would be worth it. For him, he needed to prove himself, after having not been selected to be Striker America for the Global Strike Power Ranger team. Still climbing, he remembered the conversation he had with Global Strike earlier that morning.

 _"_ _Dr. Fairweather!" Captain Mitchell had said. "So great to see you here on our jet! What news do you have for us?"_

 _Clark smiled, pushing up his glasses on the bridge of his nose. He had just landed from another jet, having had the pilot take him to where he had last heard Global Strike had been positioned. He knew they would be resting at that time and wanted a chance to speak with Mitchell in between missions._

 _"Well... first I'd like to congratulate you and your team for the amazing rescue mission you pulled off the other day against that Monster while the Angel Grove Power Rangers were M.I.A," Clark began. "Had you not arrived I believe not even SHIELD and the apparent New Avengers team would have been able to stop that Monster from decimating most of that city."_

 _Mitchell smiled. "I believe you may be right. Thank you so much."_

 _"Also... I would like to say that I am more than happy to help Global Strike," Clark stated, trying to sound as confident as possible._

 _"Well... I mean we have my daughter as my personal assistant. Agent Corbett looks over the team's personal needs while Dr. Harlen helps the team with technical stuff. Your sister is as capable as you with the other things we may need... I'm sorry, but I believe it would be a waste of your's and the agency's time to have you be here."_

 _Clark sighed. "I... I actually meant as a ranger."_

 _Mitchell cocked up an eyebrow at that statement. "You... I'm sorry but our spots are filled. I know that you were on the list for Striker America but... I mean, Angela even mentioned how she thought you were a better candidate. Please don't think we didn't think you were great or worthy! It's just that Angela had scored better in the algorithm GA Rex had. There was only one spot... it was a very difficult and competitive process."_

 _"Well... I... I just very much feel as if I would make a great ranger." Clark insisted. "And I wasn't thinking about taking over for anyone. The Mighty Morphin' team has a sixth ranger. I am wanting Dr. Harlen to make another morpher for me to be Global Strike's sixth ranger."_

 _"That... that's just not in our plans, Clark." Mitchell replied. "For one, we don't have the budget for another morpher. The time it would take for another would be too much as well. And even more, we don't have the power to help another morpher stay functional. Just... the little details behind it don't make it possible."_

 _"But... I can help! I have engineering experience!" Clark blurted out. "And I'm sure if we go to General McKnight and show how much better the Angel Grove Rangers are doing with a sixth ranger that they will fast track me into that role!"_

 _"Clark...?" Angela's voice was suddenly heard saying._

 _"Angela!" Clark exclaimed before smiling._

 _"I... I heard your voice and came into the conference room to see what you were doing here." Angela stated seriously, putting her glasses on over her eyes which still looked to have sleep in them. "I was surprised when I overheard the reason you were here."_

 _"Angela, listen, I-"_

 _"No, Clark." Angela interrupted. "You see... when Captain Mitchell first told me of my appointment to be the leader of this team I was shocked. Sincerely, I_ _did_ _think of you first. Captain Mitchell told you the truth. After having served in this spot for the past few missions, however, I think I know why you didn't get this spot._

 _"Clark? You're one of the strongest people I know. Both mentally and physically. But... you're too impulsive."_

 _"Excuse me?" Clark asked, shocked._

 _"You jump into things too quickly without thinking things through. Alphabet Soup placed Striker America as the_ _leader_ _of this team. Your brand of thinking wouldn't work here. And... you're a little arrogant."_

 _"Whoa! Where is_ _this_ _coming from!?" Clark demanded, getting angry._

 _"You see, growing up you always got what you wanted. You were an All American in every sport you played. You were in the National Championship Debate team. You were valedictorian of your high school and got full ride scholarships to every college you applied to and then some. In college, you got every professor to love you... or at least pretend they did."_

" _Excuse_ _me?" Clark asked, appalled._

 _"Well, I remember how your philosophy teacher tried to mark your grade down because he judged your depth of understanding on Machiavelli to be less than what he wanted and gave you an 'A-'," Angela replied. "That wasn't good enough for you, so you argued your way to an 'A' with the dean of the college. I have letters back home, Clark, of how you told me you argued your way to several perfect grades to maintain your 4.0 and... well, that doesn't mean you_ _earned those grades. You were just good at debating for what you wanted."_

 _"First off, that's what life_ _is_ _. Haggling and bartering with others to get your foot in the door," Clark stated. "Secondly, I still don't see what that has to do with me being a ranger."_

 _"You found out you didn't make the cut and came here to try and talk your way into it. You can't wrap your mind around not being able to get what you want," Angela stated. "You can't be a rockstar_ _all the time in every situation. I feel like you wanting to be here is going to be difficult for the team. You will second guess everything I or Captain Mitchell orders. The others... they aren't like that. I am sure you would be a great ranger but... I don't think the dynamics of you being on this team would be conducive for this scenario."_

 _Clark was confused and outraged. He didn't know that what Angela was doing was_ _for him_ _more than anything else. She had always been concerned for Clark, having ascertained early in life how he always managed to take rejection the wrong way. When he was in elementary school and misspelled a word for the State Spelling Bee championships, he yelled and screamed and cried bloody murder trying to say that what the judges had said was wrong but in the end, he had still managed a decent fourth place standing and was still able to go on to the National Championship (which he won). Angela had hoped at the time that it would have been enough to help him realize that he didn't always get his way. One thing she hoped at that moment, as well._

 _But also, she truly_ _was_ _concerned for the team dynamic. As the team's leader, she couldn't allow anything or anyone to disrupt the success they were having. The very_ _fate_ _of the planet was on the balance. No matter how much she loved her brother, she couldn't do that to her team, let alone the people of Earth._

 _"Okay, then," Captain Mitchell stated. "Thank you for your time and the wishes of congratulations to us, Dr. Fairweather, but... I am going to side with our team leader. We have other ranger projects in the works and I know your name is high on those lists."_

 _Clark scoffed. "What, like you guys keep telling Agent Mendoza?"_

 _"So... I hope you are able to get back to the base safely. I am sorry it didn't work out the way you wanted. Good day." Mitchell said, smiling before leaving the room._

 _"Why... why would you do this!?" Clark demanded._

 _Angela sighed. "It's for your own good and the good of my team. Please don't hate me, Clark."_

 _"I don't hate you! I... You just don't think I'm_ _good enough_ _!" Clark had yelled before storming out of the room and then the jet._

As those thoughts flooded through his mind, Clark felt the Rage flow through him again. He had decided upon leaving that he was going to _prove_ that he was good enough and that he should be there with them, if not leading them then being the greatest asset the team could had ever dreamed for. And that's when he had hatched his plan.

Right then, he felt himself reach the top of the long canyon wall. With every bit of strength he had left, he pulled himself up and onto the surface. Groaning as he forced himself to stand, he found himself gasping at the sight before him. It was what he had mapped out on his own time on the way back to his base. Going through calculations, patterns, energy signatures, and many other algorithm based deductions, Clark had been able to find the main Earth based compound for King Aradon's empire.

 _I am going to_ _prove_ _to them that they made a mistake._ Clark thought, taking a step behind a rock formation to get some rest after his arduous climb. _I am going to infiltrate that base and deal a crippling blow to the Machine Empire. I am going to be the hero Angela doesn't believe me to be._

. . .

Tommy stared up at Zordon, folding his arms across his chest as he did. He felt uncomfortable having been called to the Command Center without the rest of the team. It made him feel even more like an outsider than he already did.

"Do you know why I have asked you here?" Zordon inquired, looking down at Tommy from his tube.

"No... I really don't," Tommy answered.

"Do you understand the situation I am in, Tommy?" Zordon asked.

"The Time Warp?" Tommey asked. "From what I understand you are trapped outside of Space and Time and are communicating to use through the machinery Alpha maintains."

"That is correct. One thing no one else knows is that I am not alone in my prison here," Zordon stated. "I have a good friend of mine here as well. His name is Saba. He and I have been watching you as of late and... he thinks very highly of you. I do as well. We have been noticing as of late, however, that you have been... distracted."

Tommy bit his lip. "I... I've just had a lot on my mind. Personal stuff."

"Why do you not tell them of Lokar, my son?" A voice said from the shadows.

Jumping into a fighting stance, Tommy spun around to find the source of the voice. "Who's there!?"

"He is a dear friend of mine. I met him a few decades ago, Tommy," Zordon stated. "I was actually surprised when today he paid a visit to me here. He is known simply as Keeper."

The creature in the hooded robe stepped forward from the shadows. He slowly took the hood off his head to reveal to Tommy how he looked. He was a being of average Human height, standing on two legs with two arms. He had two eyes, a mouth, a nose, and two ears. Their appearance was anything but Human, though. His eyes glowed with a yellow brilliance. He appeared to be some sort of an amalgamation between a Human, the alien from the movie E.T., and a lemur. His body was covered in brown fur to top off the animal-like qualities.

Despite all that, the presence he exuded was one of power, authority, and calmness. Tommy felt at ease looking at him and was instantly sure that Keeper was not a villain.

"This is Keeper," Zordon stated. "He told me that he felt an evil presence on Earth and wished to see what the affliction may have been. He traced it back... to you. He said the Grid is speaking strongly to him that you are afflicted with the ancient menace known as Lokar."

"It... it's true," Tommy stated with defeat. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I was afraid if I told you that you would see me as a threat to the team. I understand if you don't trust me... I will give you my Power Coin. I'm sorry I betrayed you."

Alpha 5, who had been silent up until that point, piped up at Tommy's offer. "Ay-yi-yi-yi! No Tommy! Please don't leave us!"

"My sentiments exactly," Keeper stated. "I understand your Fear. You want to help and it is commendable. I... I sense great strength from you. A great potential to feel the Morphing Grid. To become a Morphing Master."

"What's a Morphing Master?" Tommy asked, confused.

"Long ago," Began Zordon. "There was a group of beings who were able to master the Morphing Grid and use it to bring order to the universe. They were the Morphing Masters. An evil Witch known as Bansheera orchestrated an uprising from within their ranks and destroyed their organization."

"Were you a Morphing Master?" Tommy asked Zordon.

Zordon paused a moment before answering. "I don't like to associate myself with them because I personally don't feel as if I was qualified... but through a series of events yes, I was once considered a Morphing Master."

Tommy turned to look at Keeper. "And you as well?"

Calmly, Keeper made his way to Tommy and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My connection to the Morphing Masters is a long and tragic tale I do not wish to tell. Not now at least. Suffice it to say that I am familiar with the Morphing Masters and... and that I wish to help you achieve the Mark of Mastery."

"What is the Mark of Mastery?" Tommy asked, confused.

"It is an ancient ritual which is given to those who have achieved a profound connection to the Morphing Grid," Keeper replied. "I believe that at a subconscious level that Rita picked you as the Green Ranger because she could feel that you had raw Grid potential. I believe that is why Lokar is so desperate to have you as his host again. He wants to use your body as a conduit to the Morphing Grid. Once upon a time he, too, was a Morphing Master."

"An evil Morphing Master!?" Tommy gasped.

Keeper's expression turned dark, stealing a glance with Zordon before turning back to look at Tommy. "Yes. There are many dark tales to be told from the Morphing Masters... even to their very first incarnations long ago, across the span of Time and Space itself..."

"But... what about the others?" Tommy asked.

"All but Jason are leaving on a road trip with the RADBUG," Alpha 5 replied.

"No... I mean, what about their Mark of Mastery?" Tommy inquired.

"We do not feel as if they are ready for the Mark of Mastery," Zordon replied. "All but Jason, that is. I, myself, had never been aware of the Mark of Mastery until recent times when Keeper revealed it to me. I had already been in the process of training Jason and Keeper wants me to continue training him like I have. For instance, Jason is currently undergoing a training trial of mine without knowing it. Rita has sent some of her scouts here to Earth to find an enchanted mirror. I have a map with the whereabouts to that mirror so I have sent it to Jason, making it appear as if he stumbled upon it by mistake. I want to see what Jason will do and how he will go about dealing with this issue without my input upfront."

Tommy cocked an eyebrow. "A map, huh? Is this the same thing you did with me and Jason when it came to getting the Thunder Slingers? Do you... do things like that a lot with us?"

Zordon smiled, trying to stave off the feelings of guilt he had been battling with over that issue. "I have my methods for helping you all, but know I love each of you and would never do anything to endanger you. Now, when the time is right, Keeper will take Jason through the final stages he will need to go through to become a Master of the Morphing Grid. As for you, you will begin with him straightway."

"So why am I being trained by Keeper now?" Tommy asked, confused. "Why not be trained with Jason?"

"Because of Lokar," Replied Keeper. "His presence is deep inside of you. It is eating away at you and is like a cancer. Even though the bond you two had has been severed, it still exists. I fear without my assistance that you will become a tool for evil anew. I can lead you in the right direction to free you from Lokar once and for all."

"Okay... how do I start?" Tommy asked, Fear creeping through him.

"By following me." Keeper stated, extending out his hand. "I will take you to your first training."

"Is this what you want me to do, Zordon?" Tommy asked.

Zordon nodded. "Yes. Saba and I spoke about it and believe this is the best course for you. May the Power protect you."

With that, Alpha 5 teleported the two out of the Command Center. In the Time Warp proper, Zordon turned and looked at Saba. He patted him on the shoulder and smiled.

"Keeper will take good care of him," Zordon stated.

Saba sighed. "I... I still am not sold on him. I know he has shown great power and has pulled us out of a couple of pickles but... he's just so mysterious. He doesn't tell us how he knows of the things he knows about or where he comes from. I don't know..."

"So you _don't_ trust him?" Zordon asked, concerned. "But we were talking about-"

"No... I _do_ trust him. He's proven his loyalty to us before," Saba said, some memory in his head alluding to an event between Dark Specter and Keeper that the Future: Omega Ranger could not fully read before the moment past. "It's just that... I don't know. I don't like the unknown. I want to understand everything before diving in."

"I know. You gave me enough grief over the Order of Meledon." Zordon stated with a wink.

Saba chuckled. "I trust _you_... if you trust the Order I guess I'm going to have to go along with it. Like it or not, I guess? But with Keeper... what is this Mark of Mastery? I don't interrupt you two when he is training you but... has he ever outright said what it was? And why does he know about it but Sentinel Knight never brought it up during the days of the Old Alliance? Just... so many questions..."

"All Keeper tells me is that it will open my mind up to the Grid even more so then it is," Zordon stated. "Although I have reached the pinnacle of Magic through the Order of Meledon that without the Mark of Mastery I will never unlock the full potential of being the Meledon Ranger. And if Jason and Tommy can attain such a level then... then I think we can rid the universe of evil once and for all. Maybe even recreate the _real_ United Alliance."

"I want that so badly..." Saba stated. "I want to have our lives back."

"As do I..." Zordon stated, thoughts of Trinity beginning to run through his head. "As do I."

Suddeny, the Monster Alarms started ringing. Looking up at the hologram Zordon and Saba watched as what appeared to be a Monster made of rocks was attacking Jason. Focusing, Zordon's Nathadian Scan revealed to him the identity of the Monster being called Rockstar. He informed Alpha 5 of that and watched as his assistant began inputting data to try and find a weakness to the strong Monster.

Alpha 5 went to work. He began running algorithms into the Command Center's systems to help Zordon's scans reach a conclusion as to how to defeat the Rockstar. As he worked he overheard Jason struggling against the Monster. He turned around to see what was happening.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi! That Rockstar is one tough Monster!" Alpha 5 declared, seeing how the Monster had shot boulders at Jason that were Magically keeping him pinned down to the sand of the beach he was on. "Jason doesn't stand a chance being pinned down like that! He's a sitting duck! What will we do?"

Zordon then received a prompt. The Order of Meledon was telling him that the best course of action was to call upon the rest of the team, which thing he relayed to Alpha 5. Zordon watched as the Power Teens arrived to help Jason. He had been confused about why that was the course of action he had been charged with for that event until he saw what had happened: when the teens saw Jason and pulled the boulders off of him, their mix of different taps to the Morphing Grid combined together to negate the Magic pinning Jason down. If Zordon had tried teleporing Jason out, he would not had been able to. He saw once again by how trusting the Order allowed him to get an answer, even though at the moment he did not understand the exact mechanics of _how_ the Order was to help solve the problem.

"How did you know that would happen!?" Saba gasped.

"The Order, my friend," Zordon replied.

"But Zordon... it couldn't be that simple," Saba protested.

"You must have faith in its power. Just because you can't see it... understand it... quantify it... does not make it any less true," Zordon stated. "Time after time it has helped us. It has earned my faith. I hope one day you will be converted to it yourself."

As Saba pondered Zordon's statement, they watched as the rangers went to find a young boy named Jeremy, who was in town and visiting Jason. Jeremy was a member of Jason's extended family, a cousin to be exact. Apparently while Zordon had been speaking with Tommy Jeremy had taken the map and was on the run, the villainess Scorpina hot on his tail. Focusing yet again, Zordon felt that the most important thing at that moment was to not find Jeremy but to fight Scorpina's Monsters at a beach club which was on the outskirts of the beach. As he told the rangers what he felt as if they had to do, he watched as Billy told the others to go ahead and that he would go after Jeremy. They all felt as if that was the right thing to do and went on with Zordon's plan. Zordon knew what they had felt was their own intuition, given to them through the power of the Order of Meledon.

"Good leadership abilities from Billy, eh?" Saba side, elbowing Zordon in the ribs.

Zordon chuckled. "They all had a role to play in this. Billy was, yes, attuned enough to feel his. But, Keeper and I both feel that the two with the most Grid potential are Jason and Tommy and not Billy."

"I feel as if he is the one with the most potential, though. Please Zordon... re-visit your feelings for him," Saba implored as the four rangers battled at the beach resort.

Focusing, Zordon watched over Billy as he tried to find Jeremy. As he did, he found something interesting: a group of Putties had come across some campers in the area while they were hunting for Jeremy themselves. Morphing, Billy was able to defeat the Putties and save the campers. Zordon knew in his heart had Billy not been there that the campers would not had faired well.

Which was the same with the other four teens. Zordon saw the reason why they weren't needed to go after Jeremy: not only was Jeremy fine and hiding well from his chasers, but there were many people who needed the Rangers' protection at the beach club. Without the Rangers having been there, Scorpina and Rockstar surely would have slaughtered them all.

Zordon then felt it: Jeremy had found the enchanted mirror. Gosei had found the mirror hundreds of years prior. They were not sure how it got there or where it had come from, but it was surely powerful. Whoever looked into it was turned to stone and destroyed. Gosei had his the object in an area he felt would be out of the way, creating a barrier around it to keep it safe. Having found out that Rita was after the object, Zordon had not wanted to leave it to chance that the object would had been taken regardless of the barrier Gosei put around it (partially because he didn't trust Gosei's computer programming abilities) and had Alpha 5 power down the barrier once Jeremy had gotten close to it.

"Why are you letting Jeremy get to it!?" Saba demanded.

"I don't know... it just felt like the right thing to do," Zordon stated.

Saba facepalmed. "Oh, brother. Here we go..."

And there they went indeed. Jeremy grabbed the mirror and, by accident, used it to destroy a Putty which had attacked him. Having spotted him, Scorpina sent the Rockstar to get the mirror from him. Jeremy promptly used it to destroy the Rockstar before getting afraid of the power it held. He tossed it away, hoping not to accidentally hurt himself with it.

From there, Scorpina grabbed it and Rita caused her to grow so she could destroy the whole city with the object. The rangers intercepted her with the Megazord and battled both her and Goldar before being able to destroy the object for good. As they did so, Goldar and Scorpina retreated to fight another day.

As the rangers spoke with Jeremy to make sure he was okay, Saba looked to Zordon. "So... why did we keep that thing around anyway?"

Zordon sighed. "It was on my list of things to research. I was wanting to eventually weaponize it but... I never had the chance to get to it. Other things got in the way first, unfortunately."

"Why didn't we keep it in the Abandoned Warehouse District?" Saba further inquired.

"Gosei and I felt that not everything should go in there. That if for whatever reason those warehouses were compromised that we would still have other artifacts secured," Zordon answered.

Saba folded his arms across his chest. "How is it I missed all of these things?"

Zordon shrugged. "I guess you were busy doing research during those conversations? I dunno. I'm just glad that this particular episode is done and over with and that we don't have to worry about it any longer. Once again, the Order of Meledon has saved the day."

Saba shrugged himself. "I can't deny that it really does seem to have come through yet again. I don't like not understanding it, but... I can't complain with the results! Haha!"

. . .

"Breath in, Tommy..." Keeper stated, holding an apple in his hand. "Can you feel it?"

Tommy stood before him, a blindfold around his eyes. "I... Are you holding something?"

"Yes... good! You have been so familiar with your Power Coin that you are already feeling the power of the Morphing Grid!" Keeper stated excitedly. "Now... what am I holding?"

"Um... it's... red..." Tommy stated, focusing.

"Yes! Yes it is!" Keeper exclaimed.

"It's a..." Tommy said, trying to think.

It's an apple, you idiot. Lokar's voice was heard saying.

"Be gone foul beast!" Keeper suddenly yelled, massive amounts of Morphing Energy erupting from him.

Hmm... it looks like you have a new fri- Lokar began before being banished by Keeper.

"What... what did you do!?" Tommy asked, shocked.

"I used the Morphing Grid to block him from you. But, I cannot always be there for you. Once you learn to do so for yourself, then and only then can you rid yourself of Lokar _permanently_ ," Keeper explained.

"Wow... are you more powerful than Zordon?" Tommy asked.

Keeper chuckled. "Power is all relative. There are things Zordon can do I could never dream of accomplishing. His ability to tap the Universal Magic Grid is unbelievable. I happen to know more about the Morphing Grid than he does, though. Like I said... it's all relative. I foresee one day Zordon being the most powerful being in the universe."

"Wow... that's quite a lofty aspiration," Tommy chuckled. "I can't even begin to think I could do something like that."

"Who knows, Mr. Oliver..." Keeper stated. "You may be in that same boat someday. The future is an unknown variable and one hard to determine. Especially in this universe. Hehe..."

" _This_ universe? Are you from... someplace else?" Tommy asked, intrigued.

Keeper smiled. "Let's just focus on getting your training up, shall we? Now, place the blindfold back over your eyes. Yes... Now I am going to do something else and I want you to try and predict what it is..."

. . .

Dr. Kaplan watched intently as Jeremy spoke about his adventure with the Power Rangers. He heard as he ranted with all of the people in the room about how he met them and fought Monsters and loved his adventure. Kaplan rolled his eyes at the typical pre-teen child, happy that he was working with children of a higher caliber there in Alphabet Soup. He then overheard Agent Ernie Finestein ask Jeremy more questions about his adventure, wanting him to go even more in depth into what happened, probably to make Jeremy feel more important.

 _Oh, Ernie! Don't encourage him!_ Kaplan thought in irritation.

And that's when it happened. Jeremy spoke about seeing the Black and Yellow Rangers getting hit by rocks from Rockstar and getting kicked into the swimming pool at the beach resort. Kaplan himself had gone through surveillance footage of the beach house and had seen that, but what was odd about that statement was one important factor: Jeremy had not been there for that.

"How in the world...!?" Kaplan gasped, staring at Jeremy from his monitor in the back of the Youth Center. "How could he have known!?"

Kaplan began scanning Jeremy. He used the different algorithms and scans that Alphabet Soup had at their fingertips. Many of them had controversial and/or confidential histories, coming from the enigmatic General of the Army Rex. One of those algorithms suddenly started pinging positively on Kaplan's computer.

"Well, well, well..." Kaplan said to himself, leaning back in his swivel chair. "Mr. Jeremy Scott is a _telepath_! I wonder if he even _knows_ that he is... Well, I will _definitely_ want someone like him in Alphabet Soup!"

Reaching over, Dr. Kaplan grabbed his communication device. Inputting the code he had in mind, he waited as the device synced with Alphabet Soup's intranet. After a few seconds, he heard the voice of his intended agent answer of the line.

"Hello, Agent Richie Mendoza. Good to hear your voice. I... I have a request for you. If you would be so kind as to meet me at the Angel Grove airport, there is a family I want you to help me... _strong arm_. They have a child I wish to 'recruit' into Alphabet Soup."

Richie sighed. "Since when do we strong arm families? Let's just kidnap the brat like we do with so many others."

"Thing is," Began Kaplan. "We can't do that with this child. He has family members who, if we don't keep the family quiet yet alive, will investigate into Jeremy's disappearance. We can't have this individual get even the slightest _hint_ of Alphabet Soup!"

Groaning, Richie replied. "Who could be so important that we need to do something like that? Someone powerful enough that he would discover Alphabet Soup?"

"The boy in question is the cousin of the Red Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger, Jason Scott," Kaplan answered.

Richie couldn't help but get the widest, dumbest grin across his face. Getting the opportunity to mess with someone from Jason's family, the man who he had the largest inferiority complex with, was too much to pass up.

"I'll meet you at the airport in ten minutes." Richie answered, standing up from the couch at his motel room. "I'd _love_ to meet the Scott family."

. . .

In space, a vessel floated through what seemed like empty space. In the vessel was a group of people who were the among the most dangerous beings in the universe. It was Deviot and the Bio Mech Power Rangers.

"What are we doing here?" The Cyborg once known as Dr. Priscilla Dale asked.

"Deviot said he has some plans for something he found out here during a recent energy sweep." Talp answered seriously, staring at his computer screen.

Rahp sighed, sitting at a desk nearby. "Well then where is he, huh? He's always giving us missions, but where is he? Huh? I haven't seen him in ages!"

"I'm right here, my good friend!" The Cyborg Shapeshifter proclaimed, walking into the room with Bio Mech Silver on one side and Black on the other. "Oh, it has been far too long! I missed you all!"

"Master Deviot!" Claire Risp, or rather the Cyborg who was once known as her, gasped before falling down to a knee. "It is an honor to be in your presence once again!"

"I know, I know..." Deviot answered, walking over and patting her on the head. "It is good to see you all, too."

"Forgive my words earlier, my master." Rahp stated, falling to a knee as well.

"I'll think about it." Deviot stated casually, walking over to Talp. "Status?"

"On... what, my lord?" Talp asked, confusion showing on his face.

"On what you were asked to get done." Bio Mech Black stated angrily, demorphing to Burai as he did. "The energy signature?"

"Oh, yes. The Black Energy signature you found," Talp replied. "I think I have gotten close to it, though it's weird... I'm getting massive amounts of _White_ Energy as well."

"Then that is exactly what you believe it was, Master Deviot." Bio Mech Silver, the former Master Michael, stated. He did not demorph, as was his custom. Deep down, he did not feel comfortable demorphing since he felt unworthy to walk about in his Human guise. He did not want to admit to himself that any part of him was Michael, not wanting to tarnish who he was in his past life with the evil deeds of being a Bio Mech Power Ranger.

Filcar, deciding to break his silence, furrowed his brow and stood up from his knee. "What is it exactly you wanted us to find, Master Deviot?"

"Oh... it's something I heard about long ago. I happened to be scanning this sector because of my ties to a scientist friend of mine who used to hail from this corner of the universe," Deviot answered. "Did you know that there was once a massive solar system right where our ship is? A great and noble planet called Krypton used to be here. Unfortunately the war against two different yet related species ended up causing the red star of this system to go nova and destroy the civilization. I was just scanning this area on a whim when I found evidence of the legend of how this system was destroyed! Hehe..."

"Is it something... _powerful_?" Risp asked.

"Most powerful. This could be a game changer." Bio Mech Silver replied, staring at the data on Talp's screen.

"This could greatly help my current plans..." Deviot stated. "Now hurry up and help them pinpoint the mishmash of Black and White Energies, Silver. Get them to me as soon as possible. I don't want to waste more fuel out here than I have to. Lothor was upped the price of fuel and this excursion hasn't been the cheapest."

"Sir, yes sir." Bio Mech Silver stated, heading over like the obedient Cyborg he was to the computer.

 _This is fantastic..._ Deviot thought as he watched the Bio Mech team work together to grab the essence he wished to have for himself. _If my sources are right, this is it. What I have been hoping to find that will make me powerful enough to topple Dark Specter! I am so close... Close to my destiny! Soon I, Deviot, will be unstoppable!_


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two: Calamity Kimberly

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Calamity Kimberly**

 _ **1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Billy sat in his lab, staring at the RADBUG. He had to fight to keep from crying. It had been his biggest project up to that point, but he knew what he wanted to do with it. He knew he had a team which was more important than anything keeping a project/trophy from his work could ever mean to him.

 _If there was ever a time that the Command Center was compromised again, the RADBUG is not the best form of travel,_ He thought. _The controls are too imprecise for it to be effective in times of dire emergency. I must make these vehicles and get them ready for action for the team._

Looking over to his pet, Billy smiled. "Are you ready, Jack? It's time to make my newest invention... the Battle Bikes!"  
. . .

Clark Fairweather gasped, suddenly waking up from the spot where he had essentially passed out the day before. He had been so exhausted after his major climb that he had not been able to stay awake long enough attempt an infiltration of the base.

 _Well, at least I don't feel like_ _total_ _roadkill..._ He thought, standing up and adjusting the goggles he had strapped around his head to replace his glasses. After doing a couple of stretches he nodded to himself, ready to go. Slowly yet surely, he slipped out from the place he had been hidden in before and snuck out toward the base entrance.

He moved slowly along the wall, keep as close to it as possible to stay unseen within the shadows. He watched as two guards stood as sentry before the gate.

 _I hope this works..._ Clark thought, pulling out a small device from his pocket. He pushed a button on it and tossed it far from his location. A couple of seconds after it'd landed, a large energy pulse erupted from it. The two guards immediately took notice.

"That discharge was large," One stated.

"The rangers must have found us. All units to the location I am pinging. We have intruders," The other stated as he sent a message out to his comrades.

Clark knew it was his chance. The very moment the sentries moved was the same moment he sprinted toward the entrance. Within seconds he was on the enemy side of the fence around the complex. Looking up at it for a moment allowed him to fully take it in. It was a massive, industrial looking building. It was shiny, chromed, and with many straight edges. With how clean it was despite it being in the middle of the wilderness atop a mountain, Clark deduced that it had been newly built. Clenching his jaw, he made his way toward an open door he found.

As he slipped in, he found himself in a room that was obviously a warehouse setting. He couldn't help but gasp at the sight he beheld (though he couldn't hear it over the deafening sounds of gears grinding from the automated machines at work). Machines building machines. The ones doing the building were nothing more than arms, levers, pulleys, and other assorted gadgets. The machines _being built_ , however, were obviously meant for _battle_. Massive arms attached to thick bodies. For legs there were various modes - bipedal, wheels, treads, spider-like multiple limbs, and a few others Clark could not quite see.

 _No... this is worse than I thought!_ Clark thought in terror. _This is a full on, global invasion!_

Quickly, Clark Fairweather pulled out a comm device. He pushed a button on it and watched it come to life. As the signal turned on, he punched in the code to get to the frequency of the Global Strike carrier.

"Clark Fairweather to Global Strike! Please! Come in!"

"This is Agent Mike Corbett! What is wrong!?"

"Please track my signal! I am calling from within a base on Earth of the Machine Empire!" Clark whisper/yelled. "It's terrible! There are Machines being built everywhere... You need to destroy this base now before-"

As he spoke, he looked in shock as the device powered down. He shook it a few times, slapping at it and trying to turn it back on. Nothing.

 _Impossible! It was fully charged!_ Clark thought in confusion.

"Human! Surrender now!" A mechanical voice was heard saying.

"Oh no!" Clark gasped, getting up and sprinting for the door.

Before he could reach it, several sentinels came out from different sides and blocked his way. Clark got into a fighting stance, ready to take them on. One stepped forward as if to accept the challenge. Clark threw an expert kick at the Machine only to find himself bounce off it, falling to the ground while clutching his knee. The Machine's body was so thick and durable that he injured himself trying to attack.

"Organics lose to Machines." The robot stated matter of factly, reaching both hands out to grab Clark.

 _No... someone help me!_ Clark thought in Fear as the villain loomed over him, ready to place his cold metallic hands on his person for evil purposes.  
. . .

 _ **Time Warp of Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Zordon shook his head slowly at the scene the Monster Alarm had alerted him to: Putties overrunning a restaurant at a nearby resort. It was on the outskirts of Angel Grove. As the Putties (along with Squatt and Baboo) ransacked the place, hundreds of guests and staff from the resort could be seen fleeing the location in terror. It wasn't any surprise to Zordon to see (with surprising speed) several vehicles appear in the area, the government cover up artists known only as the Men in Black piling out of the cars to gather the people up.

"Zordon!" Nick Fury's voice was heard yelling over the communication network. "What is going on here!?"

"It would appear as if Rita has sent her goons down to terrorize that resort," Zordon answered simply, not wanting to infuriate SHIELD's director any further.

"I can _see_ that! Why aren't your rangers over there already!?" Fury demanded.

Zordon furrowed his brow. "We only just got the alarm. It will be dealt with soon, I promise you."

Fury stopped for a moment, sighing as he did. "I'm sorry, Zordon. I've been very stressed out recently trying to manage my little situation with the vigilantes trying to... it doesn't matter. Just... we'll make sure all of the people there have their minds erased. A lot of them come from out of state and we can't have information of an alien invasion becoming widespread."

Zordon sighed. He hated the governmental laws Lex Luthor had left behind, but there was little that could be done. The Humans had their way of doing things and although Zordon interfered when he felt he could, he knew he could not completely re-write their way of living. He had his responsibilities in defending the _galaxy_ from Dark Specter and couldn't be bothered with Earth politics.

"It will be taken care of. And good luck with your vigilantes," Zordon stated.

As Fury gave his appreciation and signed off, Saba cocked his head to the side. "So... what do you supposed the Putties are doing there?"

It took only a moment for Zordon to figure it out. "Look there. That sign they are putting up. It reads 'Putty Bowl Café'."

"Well... that's quite odd. Why?" Saba asked.

Saba then was taken aback. Zordon showed something he rarely ever showed: anger. If they had access to the Emotional Spectrum in that Time Warp, Saba was certain he would have been able to _see_ Red Energy sparking off Zordon. The Wizard clenched his fist tightly as he stared at the modifications the Putties were doing to the café.

"It's... Rita is marking her _territory_!" Zordon proclaimed. "It's her family's way of celebrating... the _fiends_! Remember the massive festival Vile put on after he murdered Master App!? After he conquered Decrof and made it Gamma Vile? Rita is... erecting a place to have a _party_ to celebrate the demise of Earth!"

Saba's expression grew solemn at that comment. "Then that must mean that... Rita has a plan she feels very confident about, doesn't she?"

Zordon nodded. "And I can't figure anything else out. I feel no impressions... I sense nothing on my scanners... This is bad, Saba. Very, very bad..."  
. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Jeremy smiled as he walked into the room where Rose was. "Wow! This place is awesome! They had me go through some mental drills. I think it is really helping my powers come along!"

Rose gave him an ugly look. "Really? They kidnapped you and are holding you here with all of us as a prisoner and the first thing you say to me today is how 'awesome' it is!?"

Jeremy returned the look. "You sure are talkative for a small kid. I mean... you're _five_ years old."

"I'm not _that_ much younger than you. And I guarantee I am _much_ smarter," Rose stated. Jeremy's complacency over the past few days over what was happening to them bothered her greatly. She remembered how horrible she'd been feeling when she first realized how she wouldn't ever leave Alphabet Soup and seeing someone _not_ feeling that way made no sense to her.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Listen, kid. You and I are in the same pod with that weird girl and her doll. Get used to it."

"Why do you love it here!?" Rose found herself blurting out.

"Because... I just met the Power Rangers, kid!" Jeremy said, stars in his eyes. "I mean... they were amazing! And I helped them!"

"You pointed a _mirror_ at a Monster made out of rocks. Big woop." Rose stated, shaking her head in annoyance.

Jeremy furrowed his brow. As he did, Rose could see Red Energy dancing off him. It wasn't often she could see the Emotional Spectrum, not at the level she had seen the Spectrum during the battle between Ryan Mitchell, Astronema, and Nick Russell at least. Off and on she could, but only if the person was demonstrating a great and unusual amount of Emotional Energy. At that moment, Rage was very apparent in Jeremy. Rose folded her arms, observing him.

Seeing the analytical look on Rose's face only angered Jeremy more. "Why are you studying me!? I'm not some freak to be looked at, you know!"

"That's _exactly_ what we are!" Rose screamed back. "That's why we are _here_!"

Jeremy snarled in anger. "I mean... not _your_ freak. You don't understand! I... I want to be a hero just like the Power Rangers! Alphabet Soup promised me that! They said they can help me get my powers to where I can _control_ them!"

"They're _using_ you!" Rose continued to argue.

*And who's to say I'm not using _them_!?*

Rose's eyes widened to be saucers. She had heard the voice in her mind, yet it wasn't as if she had _heard_ it. She couldn't quite understand the mechanics behind it, but it seemed to her as if Jeremy was speaking directly into her mind.

*What's going on!?* Rose asked in her own mind, hoping it was projecting like Jeremy's.

*In just a few days, I have been able to figure out how to speak like this! It's amazing! I did it once to one of the other kids and I _totally_ freaked him out!* Jeremy thoughtspoke happily. *I'm not stupid, Rose... I know this is bad, but I'm looking at the bright side of it all! They can teach me how to become the weapon they want me to be all they want. It's just gonna backfire on them is all. Hehehe...*

For the first time in a year, Rose felt as if she'd been empowered. She had never thought about embracing the training they offered fully. To allow it to be Alphabet Soup's very downfall. A smile started to appear on her face.

*No! Do _not_ smile! They are always watching us!* Jeremy warned. *Just follow my lead, Smarty Pants! Now yell at me for not answering your question before!*

*Huh?*

*Just do it!*

"... What... what's wrong with you... _freak_!?" Rose asked, hoping she sounded convincing. "I... I asked you a _question_!"

Jeremy put a fake sad face on. "I... I was trying to read your mind! I... I _hate_ you! I'll show you, Rose! I'm gonna train so hard that I will become a better asset to Alphabet Soup than even _you_!"

As he stormed off, he sent a mental message to Rose. *Thanks. I think it went well. Keep your mind open for a time when we can meet mentally, okay? We gotta coordinate.*

Keeping a look of absolute disgust on her face, Rose answered, *Coordinate what?*

*Our _escape_.*  
. . .

Agent S stood in the middle of the room, staring at the Earthling who would soon become his step-daughter. The girl who he was assigned to help become a vital tool in the hands of the Traveler.

As he stared at her, he pulled out his pocket device. Punching in some buttons, a beam emitted from the device and surrounded the girl known as Kimberly Hart. She began to toss and turn, a look of disgust appearing on her face.

Holding up the device to his mouth, Agent S spoke. It was an odd scene for Sam to watch from the Hall of Legends, for he spoke calmly and normally with no Fear of waking Kim. Sam could see that whatever it was that was surrounding her was also causing her not to hear the evil man posing as a father figure. What made it more sickening for Agent S was how cold and monotone he spoke, completely emotionless as he manipulated the girl he professed fatherly love for.

"S reporting in to Chen."

"Agent Chen replying. Have you begun the next phase?"

"I have. I am playing with her fears of having to deal with a step-parent. She is having a dream that the enemy to her team of Power Rangers, Rita Repulsa, has become her stepmother. It will cause some confusion to her, since I have won her trust, and she will begin to question her own thoughts and convictions. I have timed this perfectly to coincide with a seismic phenomena which should occur at her house tomorrow morning, directlyover a fault. The dream will get her to begin questioning the entire day through the perspective of negativity."

"And what is the purpose of this chain of events? How will this help the Traveler?"

"I will be following her, using my abilities to ensure that time after time things go wrong for her. She has a bit of superstition in her I have predicted will cause her to choke when we need her to perform. If I can help her realize her life is not in the hands of _fate_ but her own hands then I can more fully go forward with my plan."

"Which is?"

"She loves gymnastics. She is _good_ at it. Once she gets past her own feelings of not being in control and sees that she can choose for herself, I will slowly introduce to her the idea that she join an event known as the Pan Global Games. It will separate her from her team and allow me the opportunity to mold her into the girl we need her to be. The Putrid Vessel."

"If this is what you have calculated, then so be it. You have both mine and the Traveler's full endorsement. But please remember why you were sent there: you are in the Time Anomaly Source."

"I do not let that slip my mind. I have contingency plans in place to counteract the difficulties September left us."

Right then, Chen was heard chuckling. "It's funny, you know? You are trying to instill a sense of control over destiny for the young girl by playing the part of Destiny and manipulating her behind the scenes."

Agent S smiled at that. "Well, we're gods Chen. It's what we _do_."

"No... no... don't make it grow..." Kim muttered, showing a part of her nightmare to the world outside the evil play going on in the stage of her mind.

"Seems like you have some parenting to do. Chen out."

"Agent S out."

As Kim moved about trying to wrestle herself free of the dream, Agent S moved like a dark phantom to her side. Sitting at the corner of her bed, he smiled.

"You're going to be what the Traveler needs." He stated, leaning over to kiss her on the forehead. "I'm so proud."  
. . .

"Fantastic, Tommy!" Keeper proclaimed.

He watched in pride as the man who clearly had a strong natural affinity to the Morphing Grid leapt off the rock before Keeper and focused enough to allow himself to momentarily float in place before gently landing on the ground.

"Wow! That... that was amazing!" Tommy cried out in excitement. "I've never felt anything like that before!"

"You are becoming a great warrior indeed. Now... are you forgetting something?" Keeper asked with a smile.

Tommy furrowed his brow. "Um... no?"

"This will definitely impede your progress towards your Mark of Mastery." Keeper stated, pointing at Tommy's backpack leaning against a tree.

"... Um... oh no! I'm late for school! I forgot!" Tommy cried out in a panic. "Thank you, Keep! See you tomorrow!"

Keeper chuckled and shook his head as Tommy ran off. As he did, the presence he had felt standing afar off from their practice approached. Calmly, Keeper turned to look at his eons long friend.

"Almzor... How are things?" Keeper asked.

The man known as Almzor sighed heavily. "I was able to track Fury down and stop him from finding the Red Energem."

"This is good. The Energems are far too powerful for this universe to have them be activated." Keeper stated solemnly, digging his scepter into the soft grass.

Almzor scoffed. "It's a waste, Keeper. Do you know how tempted I was? To use the one Energem we have?"

"You know how irresponsible that would be, Almzor," Keeper replied softly. "Not only would you help that soulcatcher know that the Energems can produce Power Rangers but it would also activate the Dinosaur who nobly bonded itself to that Energem to keep it powered. This planet would not know how to deal with a beast of that magnitude."

"They wouldn't need to! I could control it like the Rangers of this world control their zords!" Almzor insisted.

Keeper thought about that for a moment. "You may have hit upon something there, Almzor."

"Well, there _is_ a reason you keep me around. Well, outside of that's what you _do_. _Keep_ things. Because your name-"

"I understand the joke. Hehehe..." Keeper stated with a healthy chuckle, though Almzor was unsure if it was just to amuse him. "But perhaps I can speak with Zordon. Learn more about the machines he calls 'zords'. The one known as Titanus... I sense something _more_ with that machine."

Almzor nodded. "So have I. He's more than a machine. He's _alive_."

"Maybe, once we learn of Zordon's secret behind Titanus, we can use the procedure to make the hosts of our Energems into zords. It would be better than what _horrors_ they are now... And we could control them better," Keeper stated with deep regret.

Almzor sighed. "I'm sorry for having suggested using the Purple Energem earlier. It wouldn't be fair to unleash a Zombie to the universe like that. It would've been a gamble I shouldn't have even considered."

"Your heart is in the right place, Master Almzor. It always was and always will be," Keeper stated. "Now... let us practice a bit before I visit Zordon."

Almzor got into a fighting stance and smiled. "I've lost track over the millions of years, but I'm fairly certain I'm in the lead in these sparring matches."

Keeper shook his head, laughing. "Your age is catching up to you. I'm at _least_ three hundred matches ahead of you... Hi-yah!"  
. . .

Kim had been having a bad day. That much was for sure as Tommy approached her. Her papers were all a mess and she was drenched. But, to him, she was just as beautiful as ever. There was only one thing which could dampen his mood... and it barelled into the hallway.

Tommy was hardly able to contain himself as Bulk and Skull began to harass both he and Kim. The scene escalated so much that Bulk was gearing up, ready to _fight_ Tommy. And that's when it happened.

Do it, Tommy! Lokar yelled into Tommy's mind. Use your powers to teach him a _lesson_!

Tommy eyed the janitor's mop bucket. Focusing like he had moments earlier with Keeper, he saw that he had been able to cause the mop to hit the bucket and topple it over. Before he knew what he was doing, he moved and was able to toss Bulk into the water on the ground and cause him to slide off (all propelled by Tommy's Morphing Grid powers).

Great job! Lokar proclaimed proudly, his voice vanishing.

 _Yeah..._ Tommy thought, proud of himself. He honestly hadn't even recognized Lokar's voice as not being his own. _No one messes with me or my girl!_  
. . .

Jason looked up at Zordon. He was standing in the Command Center, alone. It wasn't often outside of their early morning meetings that Jason met with Zordon alone. It being in the middle of a school day made Jason feel uneasy.

"Is everything okay, Zordon?" Jason asked.

Zordon looked down at him, smiling. "Jason? It is time for your first milestone."

"This is for that new thing we started, right? Mark of Mastery?" Jason asked.

Zordon nodded. "Yes it is, Jason. I feel as if you are ready for this. After much thought the first milestone I have for you is for you to, during your next battle against one of Rita's minions, is to cycle through every megazord mode."

Jason furrowed his brow. "That... seems weird, Zordon. I mean, I don't think I should use a real life situation to test myself. If I mess up... there are _lives_ on the line."

"And this attitude is what makes you a great leader and a great Ranger," Zordon replied. "You have no need to worry. I will be watching the whole time. The moment I sense that you trying to cycle through the modes is hurting the team or the battle I will tell you to call it off."

"But... why _this_?" Jason asked. "Seems like a weird test... no offense."

"It takes much concentration to handle and lead a megazord battle. I know that for myself," Zordon stated, not for the first time alluding to his previous escapades to Jason. "To successfully navigate a battle with proper tactics while focusing on the Grid to rotate through different modes, _forcing_ those modes into your battle plan... it would only be possible with a deep connection to the Morphing Grid."

Jason shrugged. "Well, if that's the next step to becoming a Morphing Master and you think it's good... then, yeah. I'm all in. By the way... did your voice change? It sounds different."

"I had Alpha recalibrate it, yes," Zordon replied. "I... I had it tuned to what you call a British accent before. This voice here is closer to how I actually sound."

Jason nodded. "I like it. You know Zordon... we'll find a way someday to get you out of this Time Warp. I promise."

 _Don't make promises you can't keep..._ Zordon thought bitterly, his promise to save Commander Zedd once again surfacing to the forefront of his thoughts.

"Thank you for your loyalty. You are a great Ranger," Zordon said as his only reply.

"Well, I'm late for a training session with Zack. I'll see you tomorrow, Zordon." Jason said, teleporting out.

"How confident are you in his ability to do this?" Saba asked.

"Very. I believe he is ready and will pass with flying colors." Zordon stated with a smile.

"That's the first I've seen you smile... a _real_ smile... in a while. Zordon? What's been on your mind recently? Something's been bothering you. I can tell."

Zordon sighed, the smile vanishing. "It... it was just seeing that Monster Mutitis again. Knowing who he really was..."

"Eric, right..." Saba stated, growing sad himself. "The famous Panama Ranger. The first Silver Space Ranger. What Lokar did to him was terrible."

"It was _beyond_ terrible," Zordon said sternly. "It would've been terrible had he been destroyed when I thought he'd been. But... now knowing that all this time... he'd been _alive_!? Eric's mind trapped in that twisted shell controlled by evil!? It's... terrible.

"Outside of that, it reminded me of Commander Zedd. I promised twelve thousand years ago that I would save him from the forces of evil. It was the first committment I had made as a Morphing Master. Not only did I fail him, but I allowed him to become the puppet to the Dark Cloud. As I thought about how horrible it must've been for Eric... it is just as bad for Zedd. Even worse, since Eric seemed to at least be in hibernation until now. The Dark Cloud has been using Commander Zedd in his conquests all of these thousands of years. Zedd needing to be an unwilling witness to the things done by his _own hands_. His own personal hell..."

Saba paused before sighing. "We'll find a way to end his misery. Even if it means Zedd faces the same fate Mutitis did."

"I'm afraid that may have to be the case, Saba," Zordon replied. "But there is some solace in this. At the very least, we now know that with the destruction of Mutitis that Eric can finally rest in peace."  
. . .

Mutitis-2, the Temporal Twin of the Mutitis who had been destroyed by the Ultrazord in an earlier battle between Rita's forces and the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, moved slowly throughout the Moon Palace. He made sure to stay in the shadows as he moved on the offchance someone was nearby. He wanted to do everything Goldar-2 had ordered him to do, and do it so that no one would ever get to track it or figure out what happened. All so Goldar-2 could get what he wanted: the destruction of his _own_ Temporal Twin - the Goldar of Timeline B1.

 _Must... destroy..._ Mutitis-2 thought as he made his way to the entrance of the Dark Dimension.

Meanwhile, in said small dimension, Goldar nodded at Goldar-2's words. "Yes, my brother. I have been taking the slow approach here."

Goldar-2 winced as he heard himself be called "brother". He hated Goldar and saw himself as the weaker version of himself. The only person he thought of as worthy of the title of brother was the late King Sphynx.

 _Your end comes soon enough. No reason to make a scene about_ _this_ _._ Goldar-2 thought.

"Good. Once we finish what we started in my universe then we will use our resources to annihilate your Power Rangers," Goldar-2 replied.

"And make sure you don't let the rangers I took down continue to grow like you have let them do," Goldar stated, using the phrase to jab at Goldar-2.

Goldar-2 nodded slowly. "I am sorry. I will do better to honor our deal."

"Good luck, brother." Goldar stated, turning to leave the Dark Dimension.

As Goldar-2 stared at his Temporal Twin leaving the link between their universes, he chuckled. _You'll need more than_ _luck_ _to stop your fate..._

Goldar thought it odd that his doppelganger did not reply to him, but brushed it off. He found himself in a cloud of flames as he teleported from the Dark Dimension to his proper home in Space/Time. The moment he appeared, he felt a massive sensation of pain emanate from his throat. He flew back, slamming into a wall in the hallway.

Reacting quickly, he dropped to his stomach to dodge another hit from the mighty Mutitis-2. He was confused when he saw the Monster, thinking he'd seen his demise at the hands of the Power Rangers. Not having time to dwell on it, he leapt to his feet and produced his sword.

"Rrrr!" Mutitis-2 declared, rushing to hit Goldar.

Goldar tried to speak in return but found his throat hurt too much to speak. The same injury Master Mao had given him before he had been trapped with Rita in their shared Space Dumpster.

 _Almost as if he knew to hit me there!_ Goldar thought as he slashed at the oncoming attacker.

The blade hit. Mutitis-2 staggered back. Not allowing him any chance to recover, Goldar threw a punch before a spinning back kick. As Mutitis-2 fell onto his back, he felt Goldar's blade sink deep into his chest.

 _... I... I'm_ _free_ _...?_ Mutitis-2 thought in confusion, the voice in his head sounding more like the Panama Ranger than Mutitis.

"Ach... fuh... fool..." Goldar managed to say, his voice sounding more as it did when he first left the Space Dumpster as opposed to his normal voice (which he'd had for the last bit of time).

Mutitis-2 then looked up, and with a look that Goldar would had sworn looked to be one of gratitude, exhaled his last breath. As Dark Magic began to dance off the corpse, Goldar turned around and walked off. A massive explosion was heard in the hallway behind him as he walked.

 _There is only one way this makes sense..._ Goldar thought angrily. _The other me! He... he sent_ _his_ _Mutitis to assassinate me! He will rue the day he messed with me! The one true Goldar!  
_. . .

The tube in the Command Center flickered on as the Monster Alarm rang. Zordon saw Kimberly and Tommy attacked by the newest fiend Rita had unleashed upon Angel Grove, Samurai Fan Man. A torrent of amazing Yellow Energy erupted from the jar at his side. Zordon's Nathadian Scan showed what the purpose of the Yellow Energy was: it inflicted such massive amounts of Fear into those being hit by the energy that it weakened them, leaving them susceptible to his Magic which would pull them into a small dimension branching from the Emotional Spectrum itself.

"What's going on!?" Saba demanded, seeing the scene.

"Alpha! Teleport the Rangers immediately! Don't let them get sucked into that dimension!" Zordon ordered, ridden with worry.

"I... I can't!" Alpha 5 declared. "The Monster is interfering with our teleportation system! That's why it took so long for our scanners to detect him to begin with!"

"It must be the Yellow Energy..." Zordon mumbled to himself. "Alpha! Try tapping into the Blue Energy of the Emotional Spectrum!"

"How do I do that!? I've never done that before!" Alpha 5 cried out, terrified that his own lack of knowledge was putting his friends at risk.

Before Zordon could reply, he saw Tommy fall to the ground unconscious. At the same time, Kimberly was imprisoned in the jar connected to the Yellow Portion of the Emotional Spectrum. As that happened (the Monster getting away, leaving Tommy behind for dead) Zordon scanned the fallen Ranger. He was in some sort of coma and his body systems were failing. What he could notice, though, were massive amounts of Green and Blue Emotional Energy coursing through Tommy. Zordon could sense that Tommy's Willpower had been strong at that moment because he was doing all he could to get to Kimberly. The Blue Energy, though, seemed to be something Tommy had a natural inclination toward (which thing Zordon had not previously known).

"We need to bring Tommy here at once!" Zordon cried out in a panic.

"And do what with him?" Saba asked. "Lie on the floor?"

Realizing Saba was right, Zordon directed another statement toward Alpha 5. "Teleport some sort of furniture piece for Tommy to lay upon, Alpha."

"How? From where!?" Alpha 5 asked, his mind feeling as if it were running a million different tasks at once due to his worry over Tommy and Kimberly.

"Just any store. Teleport it here and change the store's inventory. Wire some of my funds from my private account in the bank and make sure it can't be traced as payment to the store," Zordon ordered. "And patch me to Keeper."

As Alpha 5 worked on getting the task done for Tommy's arrival in the Command Center, Keeper appeared after hearing his summoning. He listened intently as Zordon explained the predicament to him. When Zordon finished, he nodded slowly.

"Tommy has progressed quickly in his training. It is not that he has a great tap to Blue Energy: it is that he felt, subconsciously, a need to use the Blue Energy to counter the Yellow Energy," Keeper explained.

"How is such a thing possible?" Zordon asked in wonder.

"Tommy is quite adept. A natural for the Grid. With such power one can use the Morphing Grid to have influence over other sectors of power. For instance, I use my tap to the Morphing Grid on occasion to manipulate the Magic Grid. However, I am no master of Magic, so I can only do so much. I hope to one day have the ability to manipulate Red Magic like you, Master Zordon.

"But that's neither here nor there. The energy of Fear should not have interrupted your teleportation servers. Something else is at play... I can feel it..."

Zordon stopped and focused a moment. "Temporal Magic..."

Keeper nodded. "You sense it, too. You must have been a fine Morphing Master."

"I'd rather not speak of that time..." Zordon answered, the Guardian's manipulations coming to mind. "But, while I handle this problem with the Samurai Fan Man, could you see to what may have interrupted my signal? To see if we can find a solution in the future?"

"Of course. Anything to help your cause my friend." Keeper stated, teleporting away in a flash of Grey Morphing Energy.

As Zordon called upon the rangers, Keeper landed in the park. The stench of evil yet lingered in the air from Samurai Fan Man. Ignoring that, he made his way to Tommy. Yellow Energy yet danced off of him, overpowering the other Emotional Energies. Keeper bent over his young apprentice and combed his hand through Tommy's hair, as if he were a parent caring for his young.

"I will take care of you. My family is back in my own universe, so the Compassion I cannot show them here I will show unto you..." Keeper stated. "And here is a surge of Morphing Energy to help heal these wounds."

After a moment of concentration, Grey Morphing Energy crackled from him into Tommy. As it happened, Keeper could sense something dark in Tommy. Something he had never felt before. As he thought about that, his concentration was interrupted. He could feel Morphing Energy crackling in the air. Taking a step back so Zordon could teleport the fallen Ranger (who was already quickly recovering thanks to his interference) back to the Command Center, Keeper began to investigate.

In a short amount of Time, Keeper found a spot which had a strong feeling of Temporal Magic. He tried using the Morphing Grid to tap into said Magic and rewind the scene a bit to see who had been standing there, but he was surprised to see that the Temporal Magic was being blocked by some other, greater Temporal Energy. One seemingly designed to stop Time Mages from being able to use their prophetic powers to rewind and fast forward snippets of Space/Time.

Astounding!

Keeper thought in awe. _What sort of creature could possess such amazing power!?_

Agent S stood afar off, watching as the Samurai Fan Man conspired with Goldar at the edge of town. Even with the Time Anomaly in place, he could still sense a nearly one hundred percent chance that the rangers would not only defeat the Monster but also free Kimberly. That wasn't his concern, though. He worried only that Kimberly would not be able to reach the conclusions he wanted her to.

Pointing his pocket device at the area, he honed in on Kimberly's Life Force. As he did, he was able to begin scans which allowed him to see various data points. On their own, they looked like gibberish to the Future: Omega Ranger. Running a quick scan with the Chrono Workstation, however, Sam was able to find translations enough to understand the gist of Agent S' message. It appeared as if the code was made up of a language which itself was made up of several other languages. The bits the Chrono Workstation was unable to read led Sam to assume they belonged to languages from other universes SPD had yet to encounter and/or translate.

The code was simply describing to Agent S what Kim was thinking, experiencing, feeling... but in a very complex way. Heart rate, brain waves, blood pressure, and a host of other things Sam could not quite understand was listed, along with a second by second transcript of Kim's thoughts. What astounded Sam was how the thoughts were as incoherent as real thoughts, intermingling and interweaving one with another. Yet somehow the Freelancers seemed to have a way to write it down and follow the thoughts. The implications of that to Sam were frightening, giving him another bit of insight to the true danger the minds of the Watchers and Freelancers posed to the universe. _  
_  
 _There is no possible way we can stop them..._ He found himself thinking. _N_

Focusing back on the file he was watching, Sam decided to focus the Time Force Cameras away from Agent S and on Kim herself. It took some maneuvering, but Sam seemed to be able to hack into the jar enough to get a Time Force Camera to enter in and arrive in the dimension attached to the Emotional Spectrum. Kimberly was seen in the dark prison, alone and afraid. She was more afraid than usual, given the vast amounts of Yellow Energy she had been pelted with.

"I gotta get out of here!" Kim screamed. "Tommy needs me! Zordon!? Hello! Can anyone read me!? This can't be happening... ugh! It's all of this bad luck I've been having! The broken mirror, that ladder I walked under going to Ms. Applebee's class, that black cat... everything!"

Suddenly, a flood of some sort of Temporal Energy entered the area. Sam traced it back and could see it was coming from Agent S. He was speaking into his pocket device, recording and sending words straight from his mouth to encourage Kimberly. Words as "Uncle Steve". Kim heard them and interpreted them as memories she was having to boost her confidence. Sam figured that was exactly what Agent S was wanting.

Remember, Kimmie! You are strong! You have the ability to choose your own destiny! Fight for what you believe in! Your life is in your hands!

Phrases like those continually entered Kim's mind. As it did, Sam could sense the Yellow Energy beginning to loosen its hold on her. Amazingly it seemed as if a natural stock of Blue Energy was welling up inside of her from her own thoughts. It opened up a hole in the dimension, allowing for more of the portion of Hope to seep in and give Kim the power she needed.

Back on Earth, Agent S smiled. "Perfect. She's one step closer to becoming the Vessel..."  
. . .

Billy found himself flying through the air next to Trini, both morphed as their Power Ranger counterparts. The team of four had attempted to attack Samurai Fan Man to save Kimberly but had failed. He was full of Fear, not knowing it was because of the attack from the Monster. As they sailed through the air to land in the dimension alongside Kim, they suddenly found themselves in the Command Center. Billy and the rest of the team landed in the room, scattered about and even upside down. Righting themselves, careful not to hurt Tommy, they looked up to Zordon.

 _A teleportation Gosei would be proud of..._ Zordon thought with a smirk.

Billy was the first to speak about the problem directly (much to Saba's approval). He asked Zordon how to defeat the Monster. As Trini added how they were to save Kimberly, Zordon thought for a moment to let them think of the solution for themselves. But, Saba's words entered his mind once again. It was a war and they were to win it. Kimberly's life was on the line and he didn't want to risk losing her forever.

As Zordon stated the key to defeating the Monster was in using the zords, Jason swallowed hard. He knew full well why Zordon had said that: this was his Mark of Mastery. Jason could _feel_ that there was another way. He wasn't nearly as adept to sensing the Grid as a Morphing Master, so he was only sensing snippets of what he was to do. They didn't make much sense to him. Something about having Hope (not understanding it was referring to Blue Energy). But, he knew his test was there and Zordon was yet approving of it. Knowing Zordon would not lead him astray, he put his faith in his mentor that it would all work out and that they would get Kimberly back.

After that, Zordon showed to the rangers the new Putty Bowl restaurant, where the Monsters were celebrating their victory. Jason's blood was boiling after getting a peek at Kimberly stuck in her calamity. Although she was doing better, she was not fully free of Fear and began to plead her captors to let her loose. Seeing Kimberly in such a terrible state gave the team the conviction they needed to storm the restaurant and destroy the Fan Man.

As Jason proclaimed their upcoming excursion, Alpha 5 shook his head. "Ay-yi-yi! The same energy that prevented Kimberly's return is there again! It's blocking us from teleporting to the Putty Bowl!"

 _I wonder if Keeper has found the source of the problem..._ Zordon thought.

"Wait! I have something we could use!" Blue Ranger declared, stepping forward. "You guys remember the RADBUG, right?"

"Yeah, that could work!" Zack declared happily.

"Well, I actually don't think so," Billy continued. "It was too fast and imprecise. It wasn't something I felt comfortable using for situations... well... for situations such as the one presented to us."

"So what can we use, Billy?" Trini asked, getting impatient knowing the clock was counting down for her best friend.

"Alpha? Please have the Viewing Globe hone in on my laboratory," Billy asked. "Now please turn your attentions."

Seeing the vehicles sitting in his garage, Jason smiled widely behind his visor. "Whoa! That's amazing Billy!"

"Totally wicked!" Zack agreed.

"Billy, they look great! You're a genius!" Trini exclaimed.

Billy beamed with pride. "I call them the Battle Bikes. Because our teleportation is getting blocked, we can use these to get to the Putty Bowl and still save Kimberly!"

"Congratulations, Billy," Zordon suddenly said, proud of the scientific prowess of his Blue Ranger. "You have yet again saved our team from a terrible ordeal. The sacrifice of your RADBUG is commendable."

Billy was touched, nodding slowly. "Thank you, Zordon."

"Now go, and may the Power protect you."

As the rangers teleported to Billy's garage and climbed aboard the Battle Bikes, Zordon looked to Saba. "I'll beat you to it. Yes Billy is amazing. No he will not be the leader."

Saba smiled. "I actually wasn't going to say anything. I'm waiting for this Mark of Mastery thing to play itself out. _Then_ we'll talk."

Zordon chuckled and gave Saba a playful push. He then turned back to look at the hologram of Universe M54331Z-B1 floating up in the sky. He said a silent prayer for the rangers to succeed, hoping he wouldn't have to put Earth in Dark Specter's crosshairs or need to put Dulcea's life in peril to have to physically intervene.  
. . .

The battle was won. Kimberly had been freed, Tommy healed from his battle wounds, and the Fan Man had been vanquished with the help of Titanus and the Ultrazord. And through it all, Jason had successfully used the different modes of the Megazord (some of them being incidental because of Kimberly's absence, making it much easier for Jason due to not needing to explain to his teammates why he was cycling through everything). At that moment he stood in the Command Center, staring up at Zordon.

"Jason. It is a great thing to give you my commendation today! You have successfully finished the first trial toward the Mark of Mastery!" Zordon declared. "Here to celebrate with us are two special guests."

Jason felt something behind him. Turning around, he was surprised to see Tommy. He was even _more_ surprised to see Keeper. Not knowing who or _what_ he was, he got into a fighting stance. He motioned for Alpha 5 to step back, not wanting him to get into harm's way.

"He is a friend," Zordon stated calmly.

"Congratulations, Jason," Keeper offered.

Tommy beamed at Jason. "Aw, man! I'm so proud of you, man!"

Jason looked at them in confusion. "You guys know about the Mark of Mastery?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah. I just barely started on my own path. This is one of Zordon's friends. His name is Keeper. He is the one who started my training. I'm nowhere near as far as you are in training, but I've already started seeing the power you can get from it."

Jason smiled, settling from the surprise. "Well... that's great! Hopefully the two of us can get there to help lead the team in the right direction."

"Now you must forgive me. I do not know what happens now. I pass the time over to you, Keeper," Zordon stated, staring enthusiastically to see what the ritual would be Keeper had in store for Jason.

"Jason. You are on your way to becoming a Morphing Master. This is the first step," Keeper stated. "Please step forward."

Jason did as Keeper asked. As he did, Keeper motioned for him to get on his knees. In doing so, he watched while Keeper began to hover his scepter over Jason's head. A bright yellow light illuminated the room before it all concentrated over Jason. Within moments the light entered into Jason. His head, then the rest of his body, began to feel as if it was heating up. It was momentary but very intense. Then, Keeper motioned for Jason to stand up.

"Congratulations, Jason. You are now one step closer to receiving the Mark of Mastery," Keeper proclaimed.

"I... I feel the same," Jason stated in confusion. As he spoke, Keeper lunged at him. Jason instinctively threw an arm up to block the attack. As he did, Red Morphing Energy erupted from the contact point. Jason was shocked.

"Huh?"

"My staff is covered in Yellow Morphing Energy. A normal Human would have had their arm cut asunder from such a move to block it as you did. However, your body is more saturated with Morphing Energy than ever before. This is because of your new, _deeper_ tap into the Morphing Grid."

"This is awesome!" Tommy exclaimed.

"Totally." Jason agreed, a large smile on his face.

As they spoke, Saba placed a hand on Zordon's shoulder. "You were right. The Order of Meledon was right. Jason is meant to be the leader."

"I'm glad you're finally see things clearly." Zordon said with a smile.

"Now... can we discuss perhaps Billy starting _his_ Mark of Mastery?" Saba asked.

"Hmm... perhaps Billy could-" Zordon started. As he spoke, however, a massive surge of Red Magic hit him. He fell onto his knees, convulsing in Saba's arms. Images flashed through Zordon's mind. Images he couldn't understand. He saw Billy standing in front of Dark Specter in a cloak, a red gem tightly held in his hand. Another scene of Billy, aging rapidly next to the woman he recognized as the Pink Aquitar Ranger. Yet another image showed Billy with Doc, the latter morphed as the Green Gaia Ranger and running through a jungle. Blood was on Billy's ribcage. There was only one thing Zordon could hear, and the phrase made his blood run cold.

 _"_ _We have to get to him, Doc! We can't let Dark Specter get Zordon's powers!" Billy cried out, Gaia Green helping him off to a ship._

"Agh!" Zordon gasped, breaking from his trance.

"Zordon! What happened!?" Saba demanded, tears falling like rain drops from his whiskers.

"I... I saw a vision of Billy. He's... I think his destiny is far greater than what I could have imagined..." Zordon stated.

"What does that mean!? What did you see!?" Saba asked, suddenly forgetting how he'd just seen Zordon seizing.

"I saw great danger coming. I think it has to do with that... _countdown to destruction_ I keep mentioning," Zordon proclaimed. "And it also means that, yes Saba... Billy is about to start his Mark of Mastery."  
. . .

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Goldar-2 stood at the balcony which had once belonged to Rita-2. It felt weird, almost sacriligious for him to stand on it. But then he remembered that it wasn't he who felled Rita-2, but Goldar from the other universe. Because he was yet under the impression that Mutitis-2 had done his job and had assassinated Goldar, he then flip-flopped and felt it an _honor_ for him to be there for he had gotten revenge for Rita-2 (thought hypocritically, since he helped plan her demise).

Out in space before him, standing atop a vessel driven by Finster-2, were Mike Corbett-2 and Richie Mendoza-2. Mike-2 was covered head to toe with a special armored suit and a blaster in hand. Richie held nothing in his hand save his Power Morpher. He turned to Mike-2 and smiled.

"Are you ready for our trek to go where no Earthling has gone before?" Richie-2 asked with a smirk.

"Whatever is your bidding," Mike-2 answered simply.

"Perfect... It's morphin' time! Dragonzord!" Richie-2 declared, morphing into the evil Green Dragon Ranger. "Now... let's go!"

"According to my calculations, this wormhole will take you right outside of the orbit of a planet the Human Rex states is the house of the Quasar Sabers. I am going to charge both of you with enough energy to catapult you from the wormhole straight onto the planet," Finster-2 stated.

"Excellent. Now let's go!" Green Ranger ordered, jumping into the wormhole. In silence, Mike-2 followed quickly behind.

As they vanished, Goldar-2 nodded. _If he returns with the power, great! More weapons to throw at Zordon! If not? Then I have no one I need to kill to become the sole ruler of Earth! Ah-hahaha!_  
. . .

Kaplan-2 swallowed hard. The next words out of his mouth were possibly his last. The body language from Jase and Kim-2 said more than he thought it would have. They were both extremely aggressive and, taking their recent behavior into account, Kaplan-2 was afraid they would hurt him because of the news Richie-2 was forcing him to give them. Hurt him _badly_.

"... I regret to say the two of you are expelled from Angel Grove High." He stated, reaching for the blaster taped under his desk.

"What!? This is ridiculous! I'm gonna ki-" Kim-2 began.

Jase raised up his hand to silence her. "First of all, Kaplan... you're an idiot. I don't know how many times Bulk and Skull have terrorized the hallways of this school and all they get is detention. I stand up for myself, _defend_ myself, and what do I get? Expulsion. I've been a 3.5 GPA student since last year and have done more service projects than anyone should do in their _life_ , let alone in a year and a half of high school. But you know what? I _thank_ you."

"Huh?" Kaplan-2 and Kim-2 said at the same time.

"Yeah. I now realize what a sham this institution is. And now? I'm _free_ of all of you and your dumb bureacracy. You, too, Calamity Kimmie. Now let's go and _paint the town_ _red_!"

"And _pink_!" Kim-2 declared jumping up and passionately kissing Jase right then and there. "Oh, _yeah_! I'm soooo lucky I have a man like you with _vision_."

"Oh, baby, ya' ain't seen _nothin'_ yet. See ya 'round, Kappie!" Jase proclaimed, leaving the office with Kim-2 hanging off his arm.

Kaplan-2 sighed, letting go of the blaster and burying his head into his hands. "Why... why do I feel like I just did something really, really bad?"  
. . .

Billy-2 stood in front of the team in the Power Chamber. He had become the de facto leader in Jase's absense. Adam-2, Trini-2, and Tommy-2 stood behind him both physically and metaphorically as he spoke of the evils Jase, Kim-2, and Zack-2 had been committing.

"Rangers... I don't think you are seeing things clearly," Zordon-2 stated. "We must remember that after our Timeline was created things went into flux. We are all new Spirits inhabiting new bodies, inheriting memories from lives we really did not lead. Your teammates are struggling with this and have yet to acquire the grace you four have."

Adam-2 shook his head. "I... I'm still trying to wrap my head around this Timeline shift stuff Billy explained to me, but... if I understand it correctly, the only thing I can see is that the Spirits who inherited those bodies are, well, _bad_. Us? We are naturally good people and are trying to do good things with what we've been given. Time and time again has Jase and his posse shown they prefer to abuse the power instead of use it for good use."

"Isn't one of the main rules of our team not to use our power for personal gain?" Tommy-2 asked. "Because I am fairly certain I have seen Jase use his Morphing Energy to help him in sparring matches at the Youth Center. I'm even thinking he may have used it against me when we fought in the championships when I first came to Angel Grove."

"Rangers... he may be unorthodox, but-" Zordon-2 began.

"Zordon... why are you constantly sticking up for them?" Trini-2 asked.

Zordon-2's face seemed to visibly grow sad, even through the distortion of the tube. "Rangers, I... It is because I do not know what to do. My connection to the Order of Meledon is not as strong as it was in the past. I... I haven't earned this power that the other Zordon, the one who I am a clone of, did. I have it, yes, but only because I am a Zordon. The Order does not trust me, though. And I am constantly second guessing myself. The _real_ Zordon would have figured this all out by now, but the more time goes on I... I realize that I am not _him_ and that I believe I'm not good enough to follow in his footsteps."

"Oh, Zordon... I didn't know..." Saba-2 whispered, standing behind him.

"I am sorry. I have failed you all," Zordon-2 said in sadness.

"No! Not like this!" Billy-2 suddenly proclaimed. "You _are_ Zordon! I _am_ Billy! It doesn't matter when I was born or not... those memories feel real to me and I _like_ William Cranston. So, I _choose_ to become him. And if I didn't like him? Then I'd _choose_ to re-invent who Billy is! But the choice is in _my_ hands. And you... you _obviously_ look up to the other Zordon, right?"

"Yes, Billy," Zordon-2 answered.

"And you know _everything_ about him, having access to his thoughts and impressions and _everything_ ," Billy-2 further said. "With that... you can mold yourself to be him. Better yet, a new and improved him! Take the things you saw in him that you liked and build upon them. The things you disliked? Use them as examples to yourself of what _not_ to do! But please remember... we are not pawns of Fate! We can still make our own paths!"

After a moment of silence, Zordon-2 nodded. "Thank you, Billy. You... you are right. Now, I need you to call upon Zachary, Jason, and Kimberly. I need to have a heart to heart with them in your presence. Like a mentor _should_."

Billy-2 couldn't help but smile, along with the rest of the team. "I'm on it. I-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" A voice with a thick Jersey accent yelled out. "Ya's gonna put me out of a job if you go around and do everythin' _I'm_ supposed ta do!"

"Who said that!?" Tommy-2 demanded, getting into a fighting stance.

"Da name's Alpha 6! I'm fresh off the conveyor belts of Edenoi. Prince Dex got me in production as soon as news reached him of what happened to my late brutha."

"How... how did you get in here?" Zordon-2 asked, shocked.

Saba-2 looked down. "I may have communicated with Billy when you walked away last week to work on the Metallic Armor and told him to contact Edenoi... I... I may have also had Billy program the Power Chamber to accept that Alpha robot's energy signature..."

Billy-2, not having heard Saba-2, stepped forward. "It was me. I met the friend you seem to have in your Time Warp and brought him here. We planned it together, Saba and I."

Tommy-2 looked at Billy-2 with surprise. "Saba? As in the voice from my sword?"

"I will explain that later," Zordon-2 stated. "As for now? Welcome to the Power Chamber, Alpha 6. Your presence here is more than welcomed. You will definitely be a key to our success."

"Don't mention it!" He stated, strutting over to the console. "Okay, okay... let me see here... ah! Found it! The energy signatures of your three ranger friends. You want me ta bring 'em here?"

"Yes, please, Alpha," Zordon-2 stated. As he said that, a feeling of great sadness flooded him. He remembered hearing Alpha 5-2's last words before Goldar took him to slay him before the rangers. Alpha 5-2 had been his companion (at least in memory) for centuries and had been his hands in so many crucial points in their work against the United Alliance of Evil. Seeing Alpha 6-2 there made Zordon-2 very sad, for it cemented in him that Alpha 5-2 was truly gone.

 _Goldar... he was the one who slayed him..._ Zordon-2 thought. _This war will not pass until he_ _pays_ _in full for that!_

As he was lost in thought, Alpha 6-2 contacted the trio of rangers. Their replies brought Zordon-2 back to reality. Hearing their horrible attitude reminded him of what was to come and what he was going to need to do soon.

"Who the heck are _you_?" Zack-2 demanded.

"I'm the new Alpha. Yo-yo-yo!"

"This is gonna get real annoying real fast. Ugh. I'm teleporting in now."

"I don't know who this is, but I'm busy," Jase was heard replying.

"I'm the new Alpha, and you best stop trying to _be_ an alpha and get your behind over heres _now_![/i]"

"You know what? I _am_ gonna come, just so I can show you that, yes, I _am_ an alpha. C'mon, Kimmie. We're going to the Power Chamber."

Within a few moments, Zack-2 appeared in his wheelchair. He looked quite annoyed. After that, both Jase and Kim-2 teleported in. As soon as they did, Jase took his shirt off and began making his way to Alpha 6-2.

"Stop!" Zordon-2 demanded, hoping to be the man he wanted to be.

Jase scoffed, looking up at Zordon-2 and flexing his pecs. "What is it? Another mission for us or something? Because I will let you know-"

"Quiet! Jase? Kimberly-"

"I go by _Kimmie_ now."

"- Zack... you three have been doing things which is against the code of being Power Rangers. You have been escalating battles, using revenge to be your only fuel in your battles, using your powers for personal gain, and attacking the innocent. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Zack-2 smiled, slipping sunglasses onto his face. "Me? Well, I gave my legs for this fight, ya' know? I _love_ dancing and now I can only do it when I'm morphed. With that level of sacrifice I _get_ to do _whatever_ I want. It's what's _owed_ to me!"

Kimmie folded her arms across her chest, giving a look of disgust to her teammates. "You four sissies tattled on us, huh? _Losers_! You couldn't handle speaking with us face to face so you go to the big floating head. Typical."

Jase chuckled, shaking his head. "You pull us up out of Humanity... you give us power enough to be gods among men. Then, when we try to use that power to actually be the gods we are _meant_ to be, what do you do? You chastize us? Come on, old man... Why do you think this United Alliance is coming after Earth? Huh? Because Humans are _weak_. They have targets painted on them practically _begging_ for someone to enslave them. You opened up my mind, Zordon. I... I see it now. I see how fragile Humans are. I was once one of them."

"'Once'!?" Tommy-2 exclaimed in disgust. "You think you're more than Human now!?"

"I _know_ I am!" Jase declared. "Zordon made us all into gods! But only in potential... except for me! I see that potential and I'm trying to fill it. I'm taking Zack and Kimmie and that ride with me, guys. You refused to see the potential in that power. You're _afraid_ of it! That's why you will always be the slaves Humanity is supposed to be. I'm meant for greater things. And I'm going to do all I can to aspire to that!"

"I have heard _enough_!" Zordon-2 roared.

Saba-2 took a step back. "Oh, my... I haven't seen you this lit up in _eons_..."

Jase, Kimmie, and Zack-2 turned to stare at Zordon-2. They could almost _feel_ the intensity of his demeanor, as if he was right there with them. Even Jase in all his bravado felt small because of Zordon-2's conviction.

"You have shown me your characters. You are not the three teenagers with ATTITUDE I had chosen. You three are nothing but miscreants, vagabonds given a power you were never meant to wield!" Zordon-2 declared in righteous fury. "From henceforth you three are stripped of your powers! You are no longer Power Rangers!"


	23. Ch23- A Star is Born Ep I: Fallen Heroes

**Chapter Twenty-Three: A Star is Born**

*Note - Due to Doing a Masters Degree at night and pre-reqs for Medical School during the day and fitting in my paid employment when I can, I have to release the next snippets in smaller episodes so they can stay somewhat regular  
 _ **Episode One - Fallen Heroes**_ _ **  
1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2**_

Jase clenched his fist, Red Energy flowing through him. "Red Dragon!"

"Firebird!"

"Lion!"

Billy-2 was shocked as the three rangers morphed before him. Without a second thought he pulled out his Power Morpher.

"Unicorn!"

"Tigerzord!"

"Griffin!"

"Brachiosaurus!"

"Enough!" Zordon-2 roared, causing the Power Chamber to encapsulate the three rogue rangers in a force field of Morphing Energy. "This is not the ranger way!"

"I'm sick of your preaching, old man!" Jase roared. "You've been manipulating us into fighting this war for you from day one! It's over! Let us go and live our lives!"

"That is exactly what I am going to do..." Zordon-2 stated, heavy sadness emanating from his strong voice. "You _will_ lead the lives you were leading _before_ you entered the Command Center months ago. Goodbye, rangers. I am sorry I failed you..."

Billy-2 stared in awe as Red Magic flew out of the Power Chamber's communication tube. He knew not it was coming _directly_ from Zordon-2, and he, like the rest of the team, assumed it was some sort of Power Chamber defensive mechanism. His awe quickly turned to horror as he heard screams of pain erupt from his three former teammates.

"You have bonded to your Power Coins. I cannot trust you lot with that power and we cannot afford the time to wait to get other means to take away your bond," Zordon-2 explained, pained by the forcible unbonding he was doing as he thought of the arduous journey to get the Sword of Light out in the far reaches of space. "I am sorry for your pain..."

"You'll pay... agh!" Jase cried out as his suit flickered on and off his body. "I'll make you _pay_!"

"Kimberly!" Trini-2 gasped, seeing her ex-best friend pass out onto the floor from the pain. "There has to be another way, Zordon!"

"There is, but it is far away from here," Zordon-2 explained. "And with the threat Rita is right now, we cannot afford to have any of you gone for such an extended journey. I wish there was another way..."

"No! Oh please no!" Zack-2 implored. "Don't do this... please don't take my legs from me!"

Tears were flowing down Zordon-2's cheeks as he saw the last of their Morphing Energy be taken from them. He, himself, was in much pain due to the exertion needed to transmit his Red Magic out toward the rangers' dimension. Falling to a knee in the Time Warp, he felt Saba-2 come to him and help him up.

"Oh, brudda..." Alpha 6-2 said in despair. "This... this team is gonna be more work than I thought..."

"I can't feel my legs! No! No!" Zack-2 could be heard screaming above anything else.

Swallowing any pain he was feeling, Jase forced himself up to look at the tube showing Zordon-2's face. "This isn't the end... I'm going to ruin _all_ of your lives... You think I'm going to stay quiet? Hunh!? I'm... ugh... I'm going to tell the world about you all! You'll never get any rest!"

Zordon-2 shook his head. "No... you won't. Alpha 6? Please contact the being known as Nick Fury. He is listed in our servers. Tell him I need to speak to him immediately."

"Whatever ya' say, boss," Alpha 6-2 replied.

"Nick Fury? The head of SHIELD?" Billy-2 asked, debating going to comfort the aggressive teens. "Why?"

Suddenly, Fury-2's image appeared on the Viewing Screen. "Well aren't you Angel Grove people a sight for sore eyes! Ever since Alphabet Soup fell I've been wondering what became of you all. Nice new hideout, by the way."

"Where have you been!?" Trini-2 demanded. "We could have used your help back here!"

"GA Rex gave out an order to stay away from your city. After Agent Mendoza staged his coup we are to treat you guys like _cancer_. Orders are orders," Fury-2 stated, a hint of irritation toward Rex-2 heard in his voice.

"Director Fury... I have need of your services. Three of my rangers have gone rogue and I need to purge them of their memories of being rangers," Zordon-2 stated.

"What!?" Jase cried out while he was bent over the unconscious Kimmie. "No!"

Fury-2 sighed. "Okay, then. Teleport them to the coordinates I will be sending you. I will have some Men in Black there waiting to reprogram their memories."

"You can't do this! This is savage!" Trini-2 suddenly cried out.

"It's... it's the only way..." Billy-2 stated sadly.

"I'm gonna destroy you!" Jase screamed, rushing at the tube before hitting the force field. "I'll murder you!"

"I see you _do_ have your hands full," Fury-2 remarked from the screen.

"Coordinates received, big guy," Alpha 6-2 reported.

"Send them away," Zordon-2 ordered. "I am sorry it had to be this way."

"You haven't seen the last of me, you fo-!" Jase started before vanishing in a beam of White Morphing Energy.

"What's going to happen to them?" Tommy-2 asked, feeling awful about the incident.

"The Men in Black will erase their minds of their time as rangers. Give them new memories of what happened to them over these last few months. Probably of how Zack lost his ability to walk," Zordon-2 stated.

Fury-2 nodded. "I will make sure it all works out. Anything else?"

"No. Thank you, Director Fury," Zordon-2 said as their connection ended.

"I... I only hope this will give them a new start. A new chance at redemption..." Trini-2 stated, still in shock over the event.

"It's the only thing we _can_ hope for..." Adam-2 added, breaking his silence as he took off his helmet. He knew them for only a short time and not how they were before the Timeline splintered. His feelings toward what had just occurred differed greatly from Billy-2 and Trini-2.

As everyone followed suit, Billy-2 looked up to Zordon-2. "What about us? Now what do _we_ do?"

In the Time Warp, Saba-2 looked to his best friend and nodded. "They are down three rangers... this is not good for the team."

Zordon-2 nodded before having his sights land on Alpha 6-2. "Alpha 6? Please ready the servers. We must run a new ATTITUDE search immediately."

 _To be continued..._


	24. Ch23-StarisBornEpII:UnexpectedEncounters

**Chapter Twenty-Three: A Star is Born**

 _ **Episode Two - Unexpected Encounters**_ _ **  
1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2**_

The Green Ranger landed on Mirinoi, just as Finster-2 had calculated. Next to him, more crashing than landing, was Mike-2. Grass and dirt flew up from his skidding across the lawn. He pulled himself up slowly, grateful to see the powers that sent him to the planet had been enough to protect him from the planet's atmosphere and the otherwise fatal landing.

"Now what do we do?" Mike-2 asked.

"Finster gave me a scanner." Green Ranger answered, causing the device to appear in his hand. "I had it synced to my Power Morpher before I left. Now... according to that little girl from Alphabet Soup the energy source had a specific frequency which we could find. Ah! This way!"

"Yes, sir." The brainwashed Corbett stated as he followed loyally behind.

It wasn't very long until Green Ranger and Mike-2 had gone from being treasure hunters to spies. They had come across what looked like a primitive village, with what looked like Humans going about normal day to day tasks.

Mike-2 studied them pensively. "Interesting... I would have thought all aliens were Monsters."

Green Ranger nodded. "I would have thought that, too, except for that Rita Repulsa chick."

"Ah, yes. Good point. I'd forgotten about her," Mike-2 answered.

"Yeah, but that may have also been her fatal flaw. It made her easy to _murder_ ," Green Ranger stated darkly.

Mike-2 turned to him in shock, forcing himself to remember to whisper lest they were discovered. "You destroyed her? That's great! Earth can be saved!"

"Eh. Saved from the aliens at least. Not from _me_."

"Of course, of course."

"And who are you people!?" A strange voice demanded.

Green Ranger spun around, summoning the Sword of Darkness as he did. His adrenaline was pumping, knowing whoever had approached them had to be some sort of threat to had been able to sneak up on him, what with his enhanced ranger senses. The creature who stood before him had a red body armor over himself. It extend past his right shoulder into what looked like a flame. Green Ranger later thought it looked more like a flower petal after seeing the bulb-like shape of the blue creature's head, reminding him of the center of a flower. The blue head curled upward, its color slowly giving way to a yellowish hue. He (for Richie-2 supposed the creature to be a male, judging by earthly facial structures) carried a mighty sword and wore a look of anger on his face, extenuated by his beady eyes and pronounced cheekbones.

"I... I am a traveler from a distant galaxy," Green Ranger answered truthfully. "I have come seeking a great treasure."

"Hmm... our ship's scanners did indeed pick up a massive signal from this area. It must had been your arrival. I am Furio. My leader would like to speak with you."

Mike-2 stared intently at Furio-2, ready to attack him if needed. "We are here on our own mission. We don't need to meet your leader. Carry on."

Green Ranger did not approve of Mike-2's tactic. He had Fear that Furio-2 would have some sort of weird power he couldn't be prepared for and thus wanted to make sure he stayed on his good side.

 _For now..._

"My apologies, oh great Furio." Green Ranger stated, causing both his scanner and the Sword of Darkness to vanish. "I was not aware we were in your sector."

The words were pleasing to Furio-2. "Ah... so even in whatever primitive corner of the universe you come from, you have heard of me and my power. You have respect for me, as you _should_. Now please step forward and await teleportation to my shuttle."

"But, sir-"

"Let us have respect for this being. He is probably a god compared to us." Richie-2 insisted, stepping forward and hoping his servant would follow.

After Mike-2 joined them, they felt themselves quickly and painlessly teleported off of Mirinoi. Looking around, Green Ranger was shocked to find himself in a dark and dingy looking place. He noted a loud thumping sound, which sounded almost eerily like a massive heart beating somewhere on the ship. Before he could dwell on it, both he and Mike-2 were being ushered through the ship quickly. Terrible insect-like beings Future: Omega Ranger, from his Chrono Workstation, recognized as the grunts Finster had made twelve thousand years earlier roamed the hallways, mindlessly going about their tasks like good drones. After a few moments of sight-seeing, Mike-2 and the Green Ranger found themselves entering a room.

"Oh! Agh!" Mike-2 cried out, involuntarily throwing up as a putrid stench wafted into his nostrils.

 _That smell is almost mind numbing to me... and I'm wearing a helmet!_ Richie-2 thought, thankful for his power suit. He then paused in shock and horror as he saw who Furio-2's leader was. More like _what_ he was. The stench was coming from what looked like a massively bloated insect with stretched out Human skin, covered in a slime which was likely contributing to the foul odor.

"Welcome to the Scorpion Stinger. I am Scorpius. What brings you to my edge of the universe?"


	25. Ch 23 - A Star is Born Ep III: Choices

**Chapter Twenty-Three: A Star is Born**

 ** _Episode Three - Choices_** ** _  
1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2_**

 _Now that the Green Ranger is gone, I may as well get back to work... I suppose..._ Finster-2 stated, alone in the Command Center.

He had done much contemplating over the subject, and had come to the conclusion that the only reason that he had seen _two_ Goldars and _two_ Ranger Hunters was one thing: different dimensions. It was the only thing that made sense to him. But the implications behind that were... troubling.

 _Am I a clone, or is the_ _other_ _me a clone of me?_ He found himself thinking as he robotically went about the tasks he had been ordered to do. _It makes so much sense if_ _I_ _am the time clone. That's the only reason I can think of about my sudden feelings of inadequacy! Why I feel conflicted about what I am doing and my reasoning... but if I am following that train of thought, why am I not an exact replica of my counterpart? If I have the same genetics and the exact same background, why would I not continue behaving the same way? Psychologically... biologically... it makes no sense. I should be_ _the same_ _!_

 _Does this mean that the hypothesis of an afterlife is correct? That we each are given different Spirits? But at the same time, that means very little. Who is to say my Spirit is just recycled and this version of the matter of the universe is for this brief moment in the timeline of existence the way it is, only to be broken apart and put back together in some other form, ripping my consciousness from me as a result? I mean, the Monsters I have brought back from Death's grip... Sphynx, Eye Guy, Nasty Knight... did I actually bring_ _them_ _back? Did I really infuse them with their own Spirit? I may explain it that way to ease confusions for those benefiting from my work, but I always thought they were automatons going through the motions their brain had programmed for them. Perhaps I really gave them all life! Perhaps... another chance at redemption?_

 _And if that is the case... why the need for redemption? Why do I constantly feel the nagging pinpricks of guilt in my life? Is it some supernatural force coercing me to balance out the debt I have to the universe for the evil I have committed? Is life more than just gaining power and knowledge? Am I... Am I actually going to be held accountable for my transgressions!?_

 _But at the same time... are they_ _my_ _transgressions? I am but a carbon copy of another, inheriting his life. I am actually almost a newborn, opening up my eyes to reality for the first time! My life... it is not yet set in stone. I... I can choose not to be who I once was!_

And that's when it happened. By mistake or, what Finster-2 was fearing was the case, by Fate... Finster-2 had stumbled upon an abnormal reading. He followed it to find the Holy Grail for the United Alliance of Evil: the whereabouts for Zordon of Eltar.

 _Oh my you are cocky!_ Finster-2 proclaimed cheerfully. _You were literally under our noses the entire time! A complete base directly beneath the Command Center! Oh my! All of these files! I see... Very intelligent for Zordon to have made this "Power Chamber" in case of emergencies. Well, checkmate Mr. Zoltar. You are now-_

 _Wait. What am I doing? I don't have to do this. I... I am my own man! This is why Fate has brought me to this point... to_ _test_ _me! I... I don't have to do this! I can... I can find redemption! I can actually_ _help_ _the Power Rangers!_

A feeling of joy, something brighter than he could describe, filled him. He felt _good_ as he began to divert energy from the Command Center to the Power Chamber so Zordon-2 and his team could re-access their full connection to the Morphing Grid. Their teleportation had been severely crippled with the loss of the Command Center, and Finster-2 was fixing it.

But then, something else happened. His mind felt as if it was itching. Flashes of thoughts passed through his mind. Images of Dark Specter-2 rewarding him for his efforts, giving him full reign of the UAE's science centers to fulfill his research. The knowledge that could be gained from the UAE's resources began to call out to him. As that happened, Finster-2 found his hands shaking as he backed away from the console.

 _It would be easier... all that knowledge... Yes Zordon most definitely would be the best choice for the people of the universe, and also helping my research, but... it would be_ _harder_ _. Dark Specter is already at the precipice of galactic conquest while Zordon is still fighting an uphill battle. The chances of success are much higher for the Alliance than the Resistance..._

 _No! What am I saying!? This self-serving attitude is what led me down this path to begin with! What about redemption!?_

 _Yet, what about_ _me_ _? I... I need that knowledge! It's the only true bit of reality one can attain... and Dark Specter... maybe I could help lead him in the right direction? Slowly do good things behind the scenes and edge him in the right direction?_

 _But what about the innocents who will suffer while I get done what I selfishly want?_

 _On the other hand... wouldn't they just as soon deliver me to my enemies instead of help me? What do I owe them?_

 _But what do I owe the universe?_

 _What does it owe_ _me_ _, though!?_

His mind was on fire. He didn't know what he was going to do. His old habits were like a drug to him, screaming and almost imploring for him to get as much knowledge as possible. Those old memory traces wanted desperately to do what his brain had learned was the proper course of action for his own survival. The other part of him, the _new_ part of him who'd merely _inherited_ Finster's evil ways, wanted to test his theory of "being good". The feelings he'd had when it came to his good actions were amazing, and he wanted to see if he could truly harbor that sense of goodness long term. But... the logical part of him questioned it. Was it a guarantee? Was it worth it?

Finster-2 walked up to the console. Two buttons were before him. The yellow one would finish transferring the energy to the Power Chamber and give the rangers back their full Morphing Grid tap. The green button would not only reverse it, but completely cut off the Power Chamber from the Morphing Grid. It would help Finster-2 become the lead scientist for the UAE for sure, while the other would lead him down a path of righteousness.

Closing his eyes, the Canine made his choice and pushed the button he'd decided upon. He let out a long breath and took a step back. He was ready to see the repercussions of his actions...


	26. Ch23-Star is Born EpIV:Results of Choice

**Chapter Twenty-Three: A Star is Born**

 ** _Episode Four - The Results of Finster-2's Choice_** ** _  
1993 AD - Universe M54331Z-B2_**

"More rangers?" Trini-2 asked as she stood in the Power Chamber with her team. "I... I don't know how I feel about this. We're just going to discard the others like that? No rehab or anything?"

Billy-2's face darkened. "We gave them enough opportunities. They were endangering us all, Trini."

Tommy-2 turned and took Trini-2 by the hand, staring into her eyes. "Listen... I understand where you're coming from. We have to remember, though, that we are in the middle of a war. We have to make sacrifices sometimes..."

"I know, but..." She replied. "It just feels wrong. Empty and emotionless."

"I personally wish there'd been a better way," Adam-2 stated, sounding as if he was deep in thought. "But... but I don't know what that way _is_."

"I-" Billy-2 began before a high pitched alarm began to ring through the Power Chamber. "Zordon!? What's happening!?"

"Rangers! We-" He began before his tube was shut down.

"Zordon!" Billy-2 cried out. "Alpha! What's happening!?"

Alpha 6-2 was waving his arms around wildly as he tried to read the console. "Yo, yo, yo! I don't understand! It says we are _disconnected from the Morphing Grid_! The only power you guys have left is what is stored in your Power Morphers!"

"And that's finite now..." Billy-2 said, the terror of the situation dawning on him. "This must be Rita and her minions in our Command Center! They must have cut us off!"

"But this also means the Morphing Grid is no longer tethered to the Command Center!" Alpha 6-2 cried out.

"What does _that_ mean!?" Trini-2 demanded, Fear gripping her.

"I... I don't know! This is some real supernatural stuff!" Alpha 6-2 stated, trying to turn the consoles back on. "The only thing I _do_ know is... we're in big, big trouble."


	27. Ch 23-Star is Born Ep V:Primary Problems

**Chapter Twenty-Three: A Star is Born**

 ** _Episode Five - Primary Problems_** ** _  
Universe M54331Z-B1_**

Keeper watched as Tommy finished the training session with a bout of meditation. He had been progressing well, becoming more and more able to feel the Morphing Grid with each passing day. There was one thing, however, which Keeper felt was holding the young apprentice back: his confidence.

Even though his connection to Lokar, and by extension Rita, had been all but completely severed... he yet showed in his decision making and demeanor how his past actions yet affected him. He was having a difficult time forgiving himself for the evil he had done under Rita's control. To help with that, Keeper had tasked Almzor to do some investigating for the purpose of discovering if there was anything society could offer to help Tommy regain his confidence. Keeper believed that something non-ranger related entered into Tommy's life could ultimately be the key to boost Tommy's morale. And, Almzor had succeeded in finding something that both he and Keeper agreed could help Tommy's overall character.

"Tommy? You are done for the day," Keeper stated slowly, drawing the young man from his meditative state.

"Yes, Master Keeper." Tommy replied, standing and bowing to him out of habit. "Are we meeting again tomorrow?"

"No. You must rest. However... It has come to my attention that there is a _television commercial_ being filmed in your city. Auditions are at your high school in fact," Keeper stated.

"Commercials? You know what a _commercial_ is?" Tommy asked, laughing in disbelief as he began to open his gym bag to pull out his communicator.

Keeper laughed gently in response. "Just because I'm alien to this world doesn't mean I don't know about it. I have been here for many centuries. _Many_ centuries."

"Okay... so why are you telling me about this commercial?" Tommy asked.

"I think it would be good for you and your confidence if you tried out for it," Keeper stated honestly.

Tommy cocked up an eyebrow. "Seriously? But my confidence-"

"Tommy, we both know your confidence levels are not as high as they should be. And this is mandatory for your Mark of Mastery," Keeper replied.

Tommy sighed. "Well... okay then. What's this commercial about?"

"It's about promoting Martial Arts. I figured it'd be up your alley," Keeper answered, a hint of joviality in his voice.

Tommy smiled. "Awesome!"

"The information will be waiting for you in your mailbox. We- I went ahead and made sure to have your resume sent to the people in charge. They will be expecting you. The dates and everything will be in your packet."

"Okay then... I will do all I can, Keeper! Thanks!" Tommy said happily before waving and leaving on his way.

As he did, Almzor stepped out from behind some bushes and made his way to Keeper. "That went well, did it not?"

Keeper nodded. "I believe this small thing will help his attitude greatly. But I sense something in _your_ attitude, my friend... what concerns you?"

"Do you recall that presence we felt?" Almzor asked.

Keeper nodded. "The Temporal Energy, yes."

"Well, I've been looking into it and... I found something disturbing," Almzor revealed.

Keeper's countenance dropped at that. "What did you find, Almzor?"

"There is a lot of that Temporal Energy surrounding one person in particular. The Pink Ranger for Zordon's team."

"Why would that be?" Keeper asked, worry suddenly being shrouded by the curiosity setting upon him.

"I'm not one hundred percent certain but... I believe Ms. Hart may be a Primary."

Keeper staggered back involuntarily at Almzor's revelation. "What!? Does this mean...!?"

"I do not know." Almzor said as he shook his head. "But I doubt Jeo-ynez has any involvement. We know she didn't make it out with us."

"Do we, though?" Keeper asked, suddenly growing very serious. "We know several people made it out before the massive destruction. How do we know if there were not others like us? The survivors _we_ know of know nothing of _us_... is it beyond the realm of reason there are those we are not aware of, as well?"

Almzor became distraught at Keeper's words. "The Temporal Anomalies which would ensue if she survived... If she tried to get done what she tried with our group... and why now of all times?"

"We must investigate," Keeper stated. "We must not let the Red Forest grow."


	28. Ch23:Star is Born Ep VI: Rescue Mission

**Chapter Twenty-Three: A Star is Born**

 ** _Episode Six - Rescue Mission_** ** _  
Universe M54331Z-B1_**

Angela's head was spinning still from the message she'd received from her brother. She couldn't believe he'd do something so brash and dangerous as to go into the main base of the Machine Empire on Earth _alone_. But, on the other hand, it also made perfect sense. Clark was always trying to prove that he was the best of the best. And that meant that he would do anything to prove his worth... especially after the chastising he'd received from her when he tried to talk his way onto Global Strike.

 _Even though he's an idiot and this is his fault... I can't help but to think I am to blame as well._ She thought, sitting by the cargo bay door in her ranger gear. _I... I was much too harsh with him. I should had been smart enough to know I was only driving him toward a direction to do something like this. I should have known better! But no... I had to assert myself. For once I had the upper hand and I had to rub it in his face... I'm an idiot! I was being just as arrogant as him! And now he may already be-_

"Do not worry." Isamu stated as he sat down next to Striker America, not yet morphed. "We will save him! I know it!"

"Do not promise things you cannot guarantee..." Mr. Arusei stated as he opened his eyes from his meditation, sitting across from them on a wallbench of his own. "I do not mean to be insensitive, Dr. Fairweather. Just a realist. I believe if we get your hopes up for something unlikely to happen, you will only feel worse when everything falls apart."

"I appreciate your sentiment..." Angela stated before adding in her mind, _I think?_

Aleksei had been sitting in a corner all the while, next to the newest recruit Mr. Travert. Travert watched Aleksei in awe as the large Russian sharpened his large battle knife.

"You do this a lot, no?" Travert asked.

Aleksei nodded. "Yes. It is a pre-battle ritual. Helps me get in the moment."

"Good. We will need you on your A-game. We are going into the heart of the enemy itself," Mr. Arusei stated. "And with our leader compromised we'll need to all do our best."

"What do you mean 'compromised'?" Striker America asked angrily.

Arusei gave her a calm smile. "We are going in to save your brother. Of course you will be distracted by that. Also, you have been sitting in your morphing gear this entire time. Probably as a way to mask your emotions from the rest of us. Your body language reveals more about you than you may believe."

"Who do you think you are to talk to her like that!?" Isamu demanded in his ever improving English as he leapt up angrily. "She is your higher up... uh... superior officer! You need show respect on her! Not this disrespect. Plus she is familially... she has family issues to deal upon! With!"

Arusei raised up an eyebrow. "Young man I-"

"Shut up," Aleksei stated simply. "We don't need a cancer on the team."

"Well, let me tell you-"

Aleksei raised up his knife and pointed it at Arusei, silencing him. "I said for you to shut your mouth. You speaking like this doesn't help up be on our 'A-game', like you say."

"Hmph." Was the only repsonse Arusei could say, clamming up and folding his arms.

Travert chuckled at that. "You say you like body language my good Kenyan friend, no? You speak volumes yourself with ze arms crossed! Ah-hahaha!"

"Get ready, everyone!" Mike Corbett said, walking into the hangar bay in combat gear. "We'll be over the site in a few seconds!"

Isamu's muscles relaxed a bit seeing his friend. His face then furrowed as he noticed the gear Mike was wearing. Noticing the look on Isamu's face made Mike smirk.

"You don't think I'd let you guys have all the fun, did you?" Mike said, elbowing him playfully in the ribs.

"What are you going to do?" Angela asked, trying to shake off Arusei's words.

"Secret. Sorry," Mike stated. "Captain Mitchell believes that if I tell you guys what I'll be up to that it will compromise how you guys operate down there."

"You be good, got it?" Aleksei stated. "Don't give up your life for the mission."

Mike continued to smile. "Well, it looks like we're there. Get ready, y'all!"

"Get to morphin', guys." Striker America stated, gesturing for everyone to push the buttons on their morphers. She smiled behind her visor as they all did so.

"Striker Japan!"

"Striker Kenya!"

"Striker France!"

"Striker Russia!"

Mike clapped slowly. "I never get tired watching you guys do that. Now... go, go, go!"

As he said that, the door to their jet opened up. Angela was the first to stand up. Wearing a look of sheer determination on her face she sprinted forward and leapt off the plane. She could see out of her peripheral vision Mike floating down with a parachute before she and the rest of the team quickly left him behind.

 _Good luck with whatever you're doing, Agent Corbett..._ Striker Japan thought as he and his four teammates slammed into the rocky ground outside the massive Machine Empire base.

"Welcome! We figured sooner rather than later you'd be here!" Prince Nigorl suddenly said, appearing from out of nowhere.

"Cloaking shields!" Angela yelled out getting, into a fighting stance.

"Correct, you prissy little miss!" Archerina declared, making her presence known as she shot an arrow at Striker America.

"You'll never see that Human you sent in here again alive!" Gasket stated, laughing as he leapt forward and slashed Striker France in the chest.

As sparks of Morphing Energy flew out of his chest, he rolled onto his back and shook his head. "This is going to be a great difficulty... oh..."

"This is the end of all of you!" Nigorl declared. "You fools have taken step into our domain! And now... you will all _perish_!"


	29. Ch23: Star is Born Ep VII: Inevitability

**Chapter Twenty-Three: A Star is Born  
** ** _  
Episode Seven - Inevitability_** ** _  
Universe M54331Z-B1_**

Goldar-2 stared at the fight from his place on the Moon Palace. Timeline B-1 was a place he could only understand from what his inherited memories told him: simpler and more lighthearted.

At that moment in time, through a certain chain of events, Scorpina had unleashed some sort of worm creature and was using it to fight the rangers. She had entrapped them in a massive, pink, oblong cocoon. Before that triumph, Goldar of Timeline B-1 had also sent down a Monster of his own, with a baseball motif.

Goldar had called Goldar-2 to watch over the battle while he had gone down himself to help take down the rangers. Goldar-2 didn't know a lot about what was happening, and didn't care. He was more interested in seeing the relative ease Rita's fight against Earth was compared to his own campaign. Where in his Timeline he'd defeated the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and (which regrettably led to them adopting their new Thunder powers), Rita had yet to put a dent in the rangers' power on Timeline B-1. Goldar-2 had also retained the Green Ranger powers for the forces of evil in his Timeline, whereas Timeline B-1 had a Green Ranger fighting on the side of good.

The Green Ranger was ever showing himself to be a thorn in the side of whichever team he was battling against in both Timelines. During Scorpina's current raid against Earth, the rangers were meeting up to battle against the worm creature while Tommy had stayed behind to battle Goldar, who had occupied himself in downtown Angel Grove to attack the city. If the rangers had stayed with Goldar, Scorpina would have taken her attack to the Abandoned Warehouse District to continue the search for Zordon's elusive artifacts. In case the rangers had gone after Scorpina (which they had), Goldar had planned on heading to the Warehouse District himself. Unfortunately, he hadn't planned on Tommy not joining the core five rangers.

"You're not going anywhere!" Goldar-2 heard Green Ranger declare while the stalwart teen squared off against his golden armored counterpart. "Dragonzord in Battle Mode! Let's do this!"

As a haunting melody of Morphing Energy-infused Music Magic erupted from the Dragon Dagger, the mighty Megazord marched forward and swung its massive drill at Goldar. Goldar-2 laughed as the momentum from the weapon threw his Temporal Twin back. Goldar himself had been lucky to have not been injured more than he had been, having had the reflexes to quickly put up his sword and block the blow.

 _I wonder if I got the part..._ Tommy suddenly found himself thinking, reflecting back on the commercial audition for the karate gig he'd just been pulled from. _Wait... what am I thinking!? I'm in the middle of a Monster fight here! I need to focus!_

Suddenly, Tommy noticed his Megazord begin to disassemble. It took a moment for him to understand what was happening before he saw beams of light teleport them into the zords: his teammates had returned to their zords and were re-assembling. Looking over, Tommy saw on the other side of the city Scorpina's worm. It had grown and was ready to rumble.

As Tommy went to join the team, he noticed the massive Goldar had already taken the opportunity to make his way to the Abandoned Warehouse District. Letting out a sigh of irritation, Tommy placed the Dragon Dagger up to the lip molded plate on his helmet where his own lips would had been and began to play.

Dragonzord quickly caught up to Goldar and grabbed him from behind. With a mighty twist of its torso, the massive zord threw Goldar into the water of the industrial sector Dragonzord usually called home. Tommy felt guilty, because once again he was interrupting the work that apparently was constantly getting stalled due to his zord. He shook the feeling and continued giving instructions to his zord, doing all he could to ensure no one was injured or worse at the nearby plant.

Playing another chain of notes from the dagger, Dragonzord launched several missiles from its fingertips. They hit Goldar and, due to the sandy foundation of the seafloor upon which he was standing, caused him to fall. As he did, the golden heathen felt the salty water fill his mouth and sting his eyes. Not only that, but his large stature caused his fall to land him deeper into the ocean where many large rocks had their homes on the seabed. Goldar tried crying out in pain (though it was inaudible due to being underwater) as the rocks hit his yet damaged spine. While the air bubbles floated to the water's surface from his exclamations of pain, Goldar knew his time in the battlefield was over. Without even coming up for air, flames surrounded him and he found himself teleporting back to the Moon Palace.

Landing while sopping wet on the floor of the Moon Palace, Goldar found his Temporal Twin hovering over him with a look of sheer delight on his face. Goldar-2 held out his hand to help Goldar stand, but the proud golden warrior refused the "help" and forced himself up (ignoring the burning pain coming from his back).

"Funny how those old war injuries come back to haunt you, huh?" Goldar-2 stated, feigning care for his counterpart.

Goldar grunted. "Whatever. You've done your part. Now go back to your Timeline and... and do whatever it is you do there."

"Sheesh! You're _welcome_!" Goldar-2 answered angrily as he teleported to the Dark Dimension to find his way back home.

Alone, Goldar sighed as he took his place on the balcony to "cheer" Scorpina on. He knew by that point Tommy had already joined the fight and, if it hadn't already finished, that it would be shortly done.

Sighing in exasperation, Goldar decided to go through the motions of pretending they even had a shot of winning. In his mind, though, he was already planning his next strike against the Power Rangers.


	30. C23:Star Born EpVIII:McKnights Next Step

**Chapter Twenty-Three: A Star is Born**

 ** _Episode Eight - McKnight's Next Step_** ** _  
Universe M54331Z-B1_**

General McKnight sat at his desk. Before him was Dr. Kaplan, Agent Ernie Finestein, and Agent Richie Mendoza. He rubbed the bridge of his nose slowly before addressing them.

"Listen... Alphabet Soup is not progressing the way General Rex hoped. His anger has trickled down to me, but I don't want to be _that_ leader. I don't want to destroy the three of you like I was verbally lashed earlier today. I want to... _inspire_ you..."

"What can we do, General McKnight?" Kaplan asked, ready to brown-nose the heck out of McKnight to not be reprimanded. It caused Richie to roll his eyes in disgust.

"We need more tests. The Power Rangers have distracted us from our true purpose: to create self-reliant soldiers of our own populace. People strong enough to defend themselves. The reason we need armies and heroes is because we _need_ heroes. Heroes protect those who are too weak to defend themselves... imagine if we had a whole society who was _strong_! No need for heroes to sacrifice themselves! Or to divert national funds to armies... _everyone_ would be their own individual army!

"Isn't this something we should _strive_ for? Not to have some vigilante group of _teenagers_ defend us? With that in mind, let us re-focus our efforts into Alphabet Soup, please."

"What of the Power Rangers, though?" Ernie asked.

"I have... _plans_ for them. Not to worry. Please just up the testing on the participants. Even the ranger teens themselves... but do not focus on their ranger duties. Just go on testing everyone and forget the rangers even exist."

 _Like you forgot your promises to me to have me become a red ranger, right?_ Richie thought bitterly.

"Shouldn't we try _not_ to test the rangers?" Ernie asked, hoping to avert the rangers (who he was seeing more and more as friends) from needing to undergo the horrific experiments of Alphabet Soup.

McKnight gave Ernie a knowing (and eerie) smile. "Oh my dear Finestein... I am sure it will be fine."

"Wouldn't want another encounter with Zordon, though, would you?" Richie asked, smirking heavily.

McKnight was caught offguard for a moment before returning the expression. "Ah... I see you're referencing that time we met Zordon in his ranger form. Yes, Kaplan and Finestein, it is true I encountered Zordon of Eltar at one point but I assure you... General of the Army Rex has ensured that if he ever tries anything like that again that I will be _more than_ safe."

"How!?" Richie blurted out, shocked, before adding, "Sir..."

McKnight's smirk grew into a full fledged smile. "The Quantum Morpher project isn't the only thing Rex has been working on..."

Ernie was upset. Not only because he was worried about what Rex may have been concocting to interfere with Zordon and his own ranger powers, but also because of his Fear of what Rex was going to continue to do to the ranger teens and the rest of the youth in Angel Grove. His guilt was growing more and more about his participation in the experiments on the youth of Angel Grove. His loyalty to his nation was becoming less and less of a plausible excuse in his mind. What they were doing was wrong, and he was losing the ability to justify it.

As Kaplan, Ernie, and Richie left the office, McKnight smiled. _And now it's time to begin the final days of these "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers". Like I said, we can't have vigilantes running about. Just as SHIELD is dealing with this "Neo Justice League", we have our own team of people who will deal with the rangers. Soon, the final showdown will happen... Zordon's Power Rangers versus my Global Strike!_


	31. Ch23:StarisBorn Ep IX: Potential Uprisin

**Chapter Twenty-Three: A Star is Born**

 _ **Episode Nine - Potential Uprising**_

 _ **Universe M54331Z-B1**_

Outside of Blue Bay High, a young man in black sweatpants and a grey colored hoodie made his way up to the front door. As he reached for the handle, he heard a loud booming voice yell at him.

"Excuse me!? Do you go to school here!?" The man roared.

"I... I'm new. Just transferred from Mariner Bay," The young man stated, controlling a fiery Rage that was building up within him due to being yelled at.

The man seemed to ease up as he heard the person before him was a new student. "Ah... Well, for your information... once you enter those doors you are not allowed to wear hoods. Now please, take it off. Oh, and what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't. My name is," The young man said as he pulled off the hood. "Ryan. Ryan Mi.. Michaels."

Being "released", the young man whose birth name was Ryan Mitchell, the kidnapped child whose father was Captain Bill Mitchell, found himself walking into Blue Bay High School. Everyone there was at least a year or two older than he was, since he was only thirteen, but he looked old for his age due to his height. His demeanor gave off much confidence, given to him through his extensive training under the Demon Diabolico. He fit in with the Freshman quite well, and could probably have even been mistaken for a Sophomore in the right situation.

 _All of these Humans..._ Ryan thought, his lip curling up in anger. _They stink of stupid. The faster I get my mission over with, the better._

"Hey! You!" A voice called out happily.

Biting his tongue, Ryan turned around slowly and plastered a fake smile on his face. He found himself staring at three individuals. The one who stood confidently had brown skin and a thicker build. His body type signified to him the man must have been some sort of alpha male, according to his studies on Humanity. He seemed to be of Polynesian descent. There was also something... _different_ about him. It wasn't Human. Some sort of... _light_ within the young man Ryan couldn't quite place his finger on. He made a mental note of it to ask Diabolico about later.

The other boy was tall and lanky. He wore glasses and had a bowl cut. He seemed to be more of a follower, but carried himself well and had a lot of potential when it came to being athletic. The third member of the trio was a girl. Ryan found her to be attractive, but quickly pushed the thought out of his mind. Analyzing her, he found her to be quite athletic. She was toned and had great balance. He assumed she was a skateboarder, surfer, or snowboarder due to that balance.

 _Good. If push comes to shove they won't be too difficult to destroy,_ Ryan thought coldly.

"I saw what happened outside, bro." The Polynesian boy said. "That was Mr. Peters. He can be such a drag."

"Yeah... total drag..." Ryan said, trying to use the vernacular he'd been taught by Diabolico in their "Human behavior" sessions. "Thanks for letting me know. Um... my name's Ryan."

"My name is Shane. This is Tori and this tall dude is Waldo."

"Dude... I told you I go by _Dustin_ now!" He said angrily, pushing up his glasses as they slid down the bridge of his nose. "Total lameness, bro."

"Sorry, bro. Anyway, welcome to Blue Bay Harbor! So... what are you? Jock? Nerd? Loner? Goth? Skater?"

 _Please be a skater, please be a skater..._ Shane thought to himself hopefully.

"I... um..." Ryan started. He had to assess the situation quickly. He knew he had a mission, but thought that perhaps befriending the people he had already nicknamed in his own mind as The Three Stooges (based on reruns he'd seen on the old TV Diabolico let him have for "free time") might help him get his mission done quicker. He noted a slight change in emphasis when Shane had said "skater" and decided to roll with that.

"I'm... well, I'm kind of a loner, but I do like to skateboard," Ryan half lied.

"Yo... no. No way!" Shane said, nearly choking on his spit in excitement. "For real!? I'm a skater, too!"

"Yipee..." Tori stated, rolling her eyes.

"How about comic books? You like comics?" Waldo/Dustin asked expectantly.

"Yeah, I actually do." Ryan answered honestly, thinking of the pile of comics Diabolico allowed him to have in his "room".

"Sweet! Who is your favorite!? I-"

"Not now, _Waldo_! We gotta talk about some wicked skating moves!" Shane said, his excitement bubbling over.

Tori shook her head, pointing to her wrist watch. "No. We have to get to class... _now_! I'm not gonna be late on my first day of high school!"

"What's your first class?" Dustin asked as Ryan joined their group.

"I have... Home Economics." Ryan answered as he pulled up his schedule from his hoodie pocket.

"Dude... me, too!" Shane said happily.

"So do I." Tori answered, flashing Ryan a smile.

"Ah, man!" Dustin said, looking at his crumpled piece of paper. "I got gym."

"And you need it, too." Shane said, laughing and elbowing Dustin in the ribs.

"What!? _Harsh_ , bro! You know I'm gonna be a world class motocross rider one day, right?" Dustin said, truly offended.

"Not if you don't get to class on time. Your parents will _kill_ you! Haha!" Tori said. "And what's worse is that the gym is back _that_ way... you know? The _opposite_ direction?"

"No _way_! Agh!" Dustin cried out, almost tripping as he spun around (not yet used to the length his legs had grown over the summer).

As they walked into the room, Ryan began to scan it quickly. He was looking for his target. As soon as he-

"Please be seated." Mr. Peters stated, walking in. "I'm your Home Ec teacher for this semester."

"Aw, man..." Shane grumbled.

"Alright. Time for roll." Peters said before unceremoniously going through the roll without a second thought.

Ryan's name came and went. He was attentive, waiting for his target's name to be called out. He wanted to place a face to the name he'd been given to annihilate. It'd been a couple of years since he'd seen her, and was more than excited to see her again.

Peters had just passed the "S" last names when the name he'd been looking for was called out. "Ashley? Ashley Tranema?"

Suddenly, a girl with outrageous pink hair in an equally outrageous glitter outfit stood up. She cocked up an eyebrow and smiled before waving a ring-on-each-fingered hand to the class.

"Present. And please... call me Astronema."

"Another diva... yay..." Peters grumbled under his breath.

 _There she is... the Potential..._ Ryan thought. _I found you... It's what I've been training for! For me to be the one spoken of by prophecy... I have to be the one to destroy Astronema!_


End file.
